THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 


COMMODORE  BYRON  MCCANDLESS 


^ 


.^ 


(PJ 


^^y:^4>^^v-/<2^ 


THE  YANKEE  MINING 
SQUADRON 


THE  YANKEE  MINING 
SQUADRON 


OR 


LAYING  THE  NORTH  SEA 
MINE  BARRAGE 


CAPTAIN  REGINALD  R.  BELKNAP,  U.  S.  N. 

rhe  Squadron  Commander 


ANNAPOLIS,  MD. 
THE  UNITED  STATES  NAVAL  INSTITUTE 

1920 


Copyright,  1919 
Copyright,  1920 

BY 

J.  W.  CONROV 

Trustee  for  U.  S.  Naval  Institute 


13h 


/ 


PREFACE 

In  writing-  of  the  "  biggest  '  mine  planting  stunt '  in  the  world's 
history  " — to  quote  a  Christmas  greeting  from  Rear  Admiral 
Clinton-Baker,  head  of  the  British  minelaying  force — I  have  en- 
deavored to  make  an  account  that  would  be  readable  enough  for 
general  interest,  largely  for  the  reason  that,  compared  to  other 
operations,  our  undertaking  received  scant  mention  at  the  time. 
Its  very  nature  required  preparation  in  quiet  and  precluded  dis- 
cussion of  its  progress.  Unnecessary  technical  detail  has  there- 
fore been  suppressed,  although  much  could  be  written  that  would 
be  welcomed  by  those  versed  in  it. 

The  whole  account  is  based  on  data  obtained  at  first  hand.  The 
description  of  assembling  the  squadron  for  a  mining  excursion 
fits  the  third  excursion  rather  than  the  first,  but  the  difference  is 
a  minor  one,  affecting  only  the  numbers  present — six  ships  on  the 
first  excursion,  ten  on  the  third.  All  the  rest  is  correct,  in  sub- 
stance and  details. 

Besides  influencing  an  early  armistice,  this  great  minelaying 
operation  marks  an  epoch  in  the  use  of  submarine  mines  in  war- 
fare. It  was  an  event  in  military  history,  as  well  as  a  prominent 
operation,  and  the  credit  for  it  belongs  not  alone  to  the  officers 
and  men  who  were  actually  present  but  also  to  those  of  the  old 
mine  force,  to  whose  services  in  developing,  in  our  navy,  the  art 
of  handling  and  laying  mines  in  large  numbers,  the  success  of  the 
great  operation  was  so  largely  due. 

Details  of  the  mechanical  development  of  the  new  mine  itself 
have  not  been  gone  into,  for  obvious  reasons.  Justice  to  that  part 
could  be  done  only  by  those  who  were  directly  concerned  in  it, 
but  I  am  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  express  appreciation  of  the 
valuable  service  which  was  rendered  to  our  cause  in  the  war  by 
Commander  S.  P.  Fullinwider,  U.  S.  N.,  in  seizing  upon  and 
developing  the  long-sought  means  for  such  an  undertaking,  and 
by  Lieut.  Commander  T.  S.  Wilkinson,  U.  S.  N.,  and  the  officers 
and  designing  engineers  in  the  Bureau  of  Ordnance  and  at  the 
Naval  Torpedo  Station,  Newport,  R.  I.,  by  their  skill  and  ingenuity 


6  Preface 

in  designing  mechanical  features,  when  normal  experimenting 
was  impossible. 

As  for  the  ships — the  personal  study  which  Captain  J.  D.  Beuret 
(C.  C),  U.  S.  N.,  made  of  the  mine  elevator  problem  was  the 
foundation  of  its  brilliant  success,  and  the  fact  that,  in  the  whole 
period  of  service,  few  alterations  or  improvements  in  the  mine- 
layers were  found  desirable,  although  suggestions  were  called  for, 
is  the  best  tribute  to  those  who  planned  and  carried  out  their 
conversion. 

Only  very  inadequate  expression  can  be  given  here  to  my  appre- 
ciation of  the  services  of  my  stafif,  in  particular  Captain  H.  V. 
Butler,  U.  S.  N.,  whose  excellent  conduct  of  the  flagship,  sup- 
ported by  the  indefatigable  care  of  his  navigator,  Lieut.  Com- 
mander J.  C.  Cunningham,  U.  S.  N.,  made  it  possible  to  approach 
and  navigate  close  to  unmarked  minefields  in  the  open  sea.  And 
I  was  fortunate  to  have  one  so  thoroughly  loyal  and  capable  as 
Commander  B.  L.  Canaga,  without  whose  unremitting  attentive- 
ness,  and  tactful  management  of  countless  details  under  diffi- 
culties, our  performance  would  have  been  far  less  creditable. 

Inseparable  from  our  recollections  will  always  be  the  excellent 
and  friendly  official  and  personal  relations  with  the  destroyer 
escort,  especially  when  H.  M.  S.  Vampire  led.  Captain  H.  R. 
Godfrey,  C.  B.,  D.  S.  O.,  writes,  "  It  was  the  determination  of 
every  officer  and  man  in  the  14th  Flotilla,  w-ho  had  the  honor  of 
being  entrusted  with  the  screening  of  the  U.  S.  Minelaying  Force, 
that  no  preventable  attack  by  enemy  submarine  or  surface  vessel 
should  inflict  damage  on  any  ship  of  the  Force."  It  is  but  speak- 
ing for  all  of  us  to  say,  that  is  what  we  felt,  from  the  first  moment 
of  that  grey  morning's  meeting  on  the  day  of  arrival. 

Newport,  15  June,  1919. 


CHAPTER  CONTENTS 

1.  The  IVIine  Force  Ready 1 1 

2.  The  Need  and  the  Means 17 

3.  'I'he  Bases  in  Scotland 22 

4.  The  Supply  of  Mines 25 

5.  General   Supplies   and  Transportation 30 

6.  A   Sample  of    Quality x^ 

7.  Mine   Assemhling   and   Embarking 35 

8.  The  First  Minelaying  Excursion 39 

Squadron   Organization  and   Ships'   Data 46 

9.  Athletics   49 

10.  The  Squadron  Complete  53 

1 1 .  Tactics    57 

12.  Some    Incidents 61 

13.  Signals     67 

14.  The  Barrier  Across   6g 

15.  Finishing   the   Barrier    yz 

16.  The    Thirteenth    Excursion yy 

\y.  Results    82 

18.  General    Living    Conditions 86 

19.  Farewell   to   the   Highlands 89 

20.  Scapa    Flow    92 

21.  Home    94 

22.  The  Mine  Sweepers 96 

22,.  The  Mine  Force,  Old  and  New 98 

24.  After  the  War ic^ 

Summary  of  Mines  Laid no 


ILLUSTRATIONS  p,^_e 

The  North   Sea   Mine  Barrage Frontispiece 

Mine  Assembly  and   Storage   Sheds 22 

A  Mine  in  Mid-Air,  Being  Hoisted  in 25 

Launching  a  Mine  Through  the  Stern  Port 26 

The  Sequence  of  Operations  After  a  Mine  is  Launched 2^ 

A  Mine  Carrier  Steamer 30 

Mines  and  Mine  Anchors  Awaiting  Assembly 35 

Loading  Mines   into  Lighters 36 

Squadron   Flagship    San  Francisco ^,7 

The  Mine   Squadron  at   Sea 40 

Arrangement  of  Mine  Tracks,  Elevators,  and  Turntables,  in  Roanoke 

Class  of   Minelayers 31 

The   Squadron  in   Minelaying  Formation 59 

Approaching  and  Laying  the  Fourth  Mine  Field 63 

The  Boston-New  York  Passenger  Liner  Massachusetts loi 

The  20-Knot  Minelayer  Shazuniitt 102 

Organization  of  the  Mine  Force 105 


THE  YANKEE  MINING  SQUADRON 

CHAPTER  ONE 

The  Mine  Force  Ready 

The  national  anthem  at  morning-  colors  woke  me,  and  I  arose 
and  looked  out.  What  a  glorious  sight!  Green  slopes  in  all 
freshness,  radiant  with  broom  and  yellow  gorse,  the  rocky  shore 
mirrored  in  the  Firth,  which  stretched,  smooth  and  cool,  wide 
away  to  the  east  and  south,  and  in  the  distance  snow-capped  Ben 
Wyvis.  Lying  off  the  entrance  to  Alunlochy  Bay,  we  had  a  view 
along  its  sloping  shores  into  the  interior  of  Black  Isle,  of  noted 
fertility.  Farther  out  were  Avoch,  a  whitewashed  fishing  village, 
and  the  ancient  town  of  Fortrose,  with  its  ruined  12th  century 
cathedral.  Across  the  Firth  lay  CuUoden  House,  where  Bonnie 
Prince  Charlie  slept  before  the  battle.  Substantial,  but  softened 
in  outline  by  the  morning  haze,  the  Royal  Burgh  of  Inverness 
covered  the  banks  and  heights  along  the  Ness  River,  gleaming  in 
the  bright  sunshine.  And  how  peaceful  everywhere  !  Canandaigita 
and  Sonoma  lay  near  by,  the  Canonicus  farther  out — but  no 
movement,  no  signal,  no  beat  of  the  engines,  no  throbbing  pumps. 
All  seemed  resting  from  those  last  four  days  of  our  passage  over- 
seas, which  had  all  but  done  away  with  sleep.  My  responsibility 
for  the  safe  conduct  of  the  squadron  had  ended  at  i  a.  m.,  when 
it  dispersed  at  the  buoy,  whence  the  routes  to  our  bases  at  Inver- 
ness and  Invergordon  diverged.  The  captains  taking  the  ships 
to  their  berths  singly,  Captain  Butler  was  up  until  5  o'clock,  need- 
ing daylight  to  take  the  San  Francisco  all  the  way  in.  Turned  in 
at  last,  his  servant  and  orderly  at  8  o'clock  were  45  minutes 
waking  him. 

The  Senior  British  Naval  ofificer.  Captain  H.  F.  J.  Rowley, 
R.  N.,  came  on  board  early,  to  give  us  welcome,  and  then  we  went 
to  our  own  chief,  Rear  Admiral  Joseph  Strauss,  U.  S.  N.,  com- 
mander of  the  Mine  Force,  whose  headquarters  were  here  at 
Inverness,  U.  S.  Naval  Base  18.  After  taking  a  look  over  the 
base  itself.  Captain  Murfin's  work  and  province,  we  stayed  to 
lunch  at  Kingsmills,  a  handsome  place  amid  beautiful  surround- 


12  The  Yankee  ^Mixing  Squadrox 

ings,  bordering  on  the  golf  links,  with  gardens,  tennis  court,  cro- 
quet lawn,  and  fishing  brook,  which  Admiral  Strauss,  Captain 
]\Iurfin,  and  some  of  the  headquarters  stafif  had  rented.  It  was 
a  satisfaction  to  everyone  to  see  our  chief  so  befittingly  established, 
and  this  came  out  very  eflfectively  later,  at  a  picturesque  and  enjoy- 
able garden  party  given  there  on  the  4th  of  July,  an  occasion 
which  was  being  celebrated  locally  with  unaffected  cordiality. 
Altogether,  we  could  feel  ourselves  fortunate  in  the  beauty  and 
attractiveness  of  our  surroundings  and  also,  as  we  soon  found, 
in  the  hospitality  and  kindliness  of  the  people. 

The  American  Mine  Force  had  come  to  Scotland,  arriving  May 
26,  1918,  to  cooperate  with  the  British  in  laying  a  great  barrier  of 
mines,  from  the  Orkney  Islands  across  the  North  Sea  to  Norway. 
To  provide  for  doing  our  share,  the  small  minelaying  force  which 
our  navy  possessed  on  entering  the  war,  consisting  principally  of 
the  old  cruisers  San  Francisco  and  Baltimore,  had  been  augmented 
by  eight  converted  merchantmen.  Only  six  weeks  before,  five  of 
them  had  joined  the  San  Francisco,  the  squadron  flagship,  at 
Hampton  Roads,  Virginia,  fresh  from  the  shipyards. 

The  program  for  the  newly  organized  squadron  contemplated 
the  ships  being  in  Scotland,  ready  for  a  minelaying  operation,  in 
45  days  from  the  time  they  left  the  shipyards.  The  work  of 
conversion  having  been  extensive  and  hardly  finished,  the  new 
ships  were  very  raw,  having  had  but  a  few  days  to  shake  down. 
Troubles  with  engines  and  steering  gear,  lost  anchors,  fogs,  and 
missing  stores  repeatedly  interfered  with  training.  Up  to  May  5, 
1918,  not  a  day  had  passed  without  a  mishap  or  some  forced  altera- 
tion of  plan.  Instead  of  progressing  to  the  rehearsal  of  a  mine- 
laying  operation  by  the  squadron,  we  had  been  unable  even  to  keep 
all  together  for  a  single  whole  day.  Yet  we  were  preparing  for 
an  operation  in  which,  with  the  ships  steaming  close  together,  all 
must  go  like  clock-work,  for  hours  without  interruption. 

Another  week  of  training  before  going  across  would,  therefore, 
have  been  amply  justified,  but  the  sense  of  urgency  was  too  strong. 
Besides,  our  mine  bases  in  Scotland  needed  the  500  men  we  were 
to  bring  them.  So,  after  four  hustling  days  and  nights  of  final 
preparation,  we  had  stolen  away  from  Newport,  Rhode  Island, 
just  after  midnight  of  Saturday,  May  11,  1918. 

Started  at  last !  And,  thanks  to  cooperation  far  and  near,  better 
prepared  than  expected.     There  were  a   few  quiet  hours  that 


Tiiii  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  13 

Sunday  morning — then  fog  shut  in  thick  until  next  day.  This 
was  trying,  so  early  on  the  voyage,  but  as  we  kept  together  all 
through  it,  the  experience  only  gave  more  confidence.  Next,  one 
ship's  steering  gear  broke  down,  and  she  just  escaped  a  fatal 
collision.  The  third  morning,  the  same  vessel  broke  down  alto- 
gether. Through  lucky  foresight,  a  powerful  tug,  Sonoma,  was 
with  us,  which  towed  the  disabled  ship  150  miles  until  next  morn- 
ing, when  the  break  was  repaired. 

The  submarines  that  soon  afterwards  appeared  on  our  coast 
were  known  to  be  crossing  the  Atlantic  now,  so  we  had  target 
practice  next  afternoon,  to  be  ready  for  them.  Then  I  felt  we 
could  give  a  good  account  of  any  surface  attack.  Torpedoes,  fire, 
and  collision  were  what  we  had  to  fear.  All  the  ships  had  mines 
on  board  and,  since  we  steamed  only  500  yards  apart,  an  explosion 
in  one  ship  would  have  involved  the  others. 

Crossing  in  our  company  was  the  big  collier  Jason,  loaded  with 
an  aviation  station  outfit  for  Killingholme,  England,  which  after- 
wards did  good  work.  On  the  tenth  day,  heavy  weather  came 
on,  and  Jason  disappeared  in  a  black  squall,  rolling  heavily  and 
steering  far  off  the  course.  She  being  a  sister  of  the  ill-fated 
Cyclops,  and  no  trace  of  her  showing  in  four  days,  added  con- 
siderably to  the  anxiety  felt  as  we  entered  the  active  submarine 
zone.  Radio  calls  brought  no  response.  We  had  all  but  given  her 
up,  when,  at  early  daylight,  just  before  the  appointed  rendezvous 
with  the  destroyers,  she  came  lumbering  up  astern.  And  so,  not- 
withstanding the  many  vicissitudes  in  3000  miles  steaming,  we  met 
the  escort  with  our  number  complete  and  right  on  the  dot,  in  time 
and  place. 

Our  arrival  off  Inverness  the  following  midnight.  May  25-26, 
191 8,  made  the  Mine  Force  complete  as  to  constituent  parts  neces- 
sary for  the  operation  in  hand.  The  Baltimore  and  Roanoke  had 
preceded  the  others,  making  us  seven.  Three  more  were  still  in 
shipyard  hands,  but  there  was  no  need  to  wait  for  them  before 
beginning  the  minelaying. 

Between  operations  the  squadron  was  divided  for  loading,  half 
at  Inverness  (Base  18),  and  half  at  Invergordon  (Base  17),  30 
miles  away.  Being  intended  for  the  storage  and  assembly  of 
mines — all  that  we  used  came  from  America — these  bases  had 
scant  means  at  first  for  assisting  the  ships.    Their  needs  could  be 


14  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

supplied  from  the  Royal  Naval  Dockyard  and  two  depots,  under 
Rear  Admiral  E.  R.  Pears,  R.  N.,  and  Captain  Tancred  at  Inver- 
gordon,  and  Captain  Rowley  at  Inverness,  who  were  always 
cordially  responsive  to  our  requests. 

The  motto  for  all  American  naval  forces  abroad,  however,  was 
to  be  self-supporting,  and  thanks  to  our  provident  first  supply  and 
to  regular  replenishment  by  the  mine  carriers,  we  had  to  draw  on 
the  British  stocks  for  very  little.  After  a  month,  the  repair  ship 
Black  Hawk  arrived.  She  took  no  part  in  minelaying,  being 
always  moored  off  Inverness,  separate  from  the  Mine  Squadron 
and  flying  Rear  Admiral  Strauss'  flag,  but  her  equipment  of 
machine  tools  and  repair  material  made  the  Mine  Force  normally 
independent  in  regard  to  upkeep.  Except  for  docking,  we  asked 
very  little  of  the  British  in  the  way  of  repairs. 

Upon  one  occasion,  the  soluble  salt  washers  for  the  principal 
safety  device  of  the  mines  nearly  ran  out,  the  local  atmospheric 
conditions  having  caused  many  more  to  be  used  than  estimated. 
No  washers  of  the  right  size  and  kind  were  obtainable  anywhere 
inside  three  weeks,  and  thus  a  shortage  of  these  atoms — the  size  of 
a  peppermint  "  Life  Saver  '' — threatened  to  hold  up  the  laying  of 
5000  mines.  The  Black  Hazvk  had  a  steam  press,  however,  and 
could  make  a  die — and  by  the  time  they  were  needed,  washers 
in  plenty  were  ready — incidentally  of  better  quality  than  before. 

While  the  ships  were  unloading  the  mines  they  had  brought, 
for  overhaul  on  shore,  and  were  coaling  and  otherwise  preparing 
for  minelaying,  the  larger  preliminaries  were  taken  up  at  a  con- 
ference of  Rear  Admiral  Strauss  and  myself  with  Admiral  Sir 
David  Beatty,  Commander-in-Chief  of  H.  B.  M.  Grand  Fleet. 
Vice  Admiral  Brock,  his  Chief  of  Staff,  Rear  Admiral  Clinton- 
Baker,  the  British  Rear  Admiral  of  Mines,  Captain  Lockhart- 
Leith,  the  head  of  his  Staff,  and  Captain  R.  A.  Pound,  of  the 
Admiralty,  attended  this  conference,  which  was  held  on  board  the 
flagship  Queen  Elirjabctli,  at  Rosyth,  Thursday,  30  May,  1918. 

First  came  the  subject  of  tactics,  and  I  explained  my  plan,  to  lay 
the  mines  with  the  squadron  steaming  in  line  abreast,  ships  500 
yards  apart,  making  a  trace  on  the  chart  like  a  music  score.  Three 
vessels  (later  five)  would  be  laying  mines  simultaneously.  When 
a  ship  had  emptied  herself  of  mines,  her  neighbor,  ready  and 
waiting  while  steaming  alongside,  would  begin.    At  the  end  of  the 


The  Yaxkke  ^Mining  Squadron  15 

minefield,  some  temporary  small  buoys  would  be  planted,  by  which 
to  pick  the  field  up  later,  to  continue  it.  This  plan  was  accepted 
without  comment. 

The  area  to  be  mined  having  been  publicly  notified  two  months 
before,  the  enemy  might  have  placed  some  mines  there,  on  the 
random  chance  of  damaging  our  force.  The  only  arrangement 
practicable  to  meet  such  a  contingency  was  for  some  of  the  de- 
stroyer escort  to  explore  for  mines  ahead  of  the  minelaying  forma- 
tion as  it  proceeded.  Only  those  ships  would  be  fully  protected 
that  might  be  following  directly  in  the  wake  of  the  searching  de- 
stroyers, the  main  purpose  being  to  discover  the  existence  of  an 
enemy  minefield  in  time  for  the  squadron  to  maneuver  aside. 

A  clear  understanding  was  reached  at  the  conference  of  the 
relation  of  the  mine  squadron  and  its  escort  to  the  supporting 
force.  The  mine  squadron  being  lightly  armed  and  of  moderate 
speed,  it  would  have  been  at  great  disadvantage  against  even  a 
numerically  weaker  force  of  light  cruisers,  with  their  superior 
batteries  and  speed.  Hence  the  need  of  the  support,  which  would 
consist  of  a  battleship  or  battle  cruiser  squadron,  or  both,  and  of 
light  cruisers,  according  to  the  estimated  risk  of  attack  at  the 
time.  If  attack  threatened,  the  mine  squadron  and  its  destroyer 
escort  would  seek  safety  in  the  direction  ordered  by  the  Support 
Commander ;  otherwise  they  would  proceed  on  their  mission  and 
return  to  base  afterwards,  according  to  the  program  for  that 
occasion.  The  destroyer  escort  would  be  of  strength  sufficient  to 
ward  off  any  probable  attack  by  submarines  or  by  surface  vessels 
that  might  elude  the  supporting  force  and  the  regular  patrols. 

The  location  of  the  first  minefield  was  decided  upon ;  then 
further  details  were  settled  with  Vice  Admiral  Brock  and  Rear 
Admiral  Clinton-Baker,  for  the  first  mining  excursion,  which 
was  to  be  done  by  the  American  and  British  squadrons  at  the  same 
time.  Preparatory  notice  was  to  be  given  by  the  Commander  Mine 
Force  to  the  Admiral  of  the  Grand  Fleet  at  least  four  days  before 
the  time  the  mine  squadron  was  expected  to  be  loaded  and  ready 
for  an  excursion.  Upon  a  second,  definite  notice,  not  less  than  48 
hours  in  advance,  when  it  was  certain  that  the  squadron  would  be 
ready,  a  combined  operation  order  would  be  issued  by  the  Admiral, 
naming  all  the  forces  concerned  and  containing  the  instructions 
and  intelligence  necessary  for  all. 


i6  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

After  lunching  on  board  with  Admiral  Beatty,  Rear  Admiral 
Strauss  and  I  took  our  leave.  We  had  a  look  at  Holyrood  Palace 
and  a  walk  through  Canongate  Street  that  afternoon,  returning  to 
Inverness  next  day.  Not  enough  material  had  yet  been  accumu- 
lated to  assemble  mines  to  fill  all  seven  minelayers  present,  but 
3400  would  be  ready  in  a  few  days,  sufificient  to  lay  a  field  47  miles 
long,  consisting  of  one  row  of  mines  at  each  of  the  three  levels 
prescribed.  A  mine  embarking  schedule  was  made  out  accord- 
ingly, to  include  San  Francisco,  Baltimore,  Roanoke,  Canandaigua, 
Canonicits,  and  Honsatonic,  for  a  start  on  June  7. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 


CHAPTER  TWO 

The  Need  and  the  Means 

A  barrier  of  high  explosive  across  the  North  Sea — 10,000  tons 
of  TNT,  150  shiploads  of  it,  spread  over  an  area  230  miles 
long  by  25  miles  wide  and  reaching  from  near  the  surface  to 
240  feet  below — 70,000  anchored  mines  each  containing  300 
pounds  of  explosive,  sensitive  to  a  touch,  barring  the  passage  of 
German  submarines  between  the  Orkneys  and  Norway — this  was 
the  final  five  months'  contribution  of  the  American  and  British 
mining  forces  towards  bringing  the  war  to  a  close. 

To  stop  the  enemy  submarines  near  their  bases,  before  they 
could  scatter  on  the  trade  routes,  would  obviously  defeat  their 
campaign  more  surely  than  merely  hunting  them  at  large.  That 
was  the  purpose  of  the  Northern  Mine  Barrage,  which,  with  the 
barrage  at  Dover,  made  it  not  impossible  but  extremely  hazardous 
to  enter  or  leave  the  North  Sea.  That  many  a  submarine  came  to 
grief  in  attempting  these  barriers  is  now  a  certainty,  and  the 
establishment  of  the  Northern  Barrage,  which  many  had  thought 
impossible,  insured  the  early  finish  of  the  submarine  campaign. 

The  resumption  of  ruthless  submarine  warfare  became  a  serious 
threat  to  the  cause  of  the  Allies,  and  at  the  time  of  our  entry 
into  the  war  their  situation  was  critical — how  much  more  critical 
than  the  world  was  allowed  to  know  at  the  time,  Admiral  Sims 
has  disclosed  in  his  "  The  Victory  at  Sea."  The  relief  brought 
about  through  the  convoy  system,  in  which  our  destroyers,  the 
navy's  first  participants,  had  a  large  share,  was  immediate  and 
important.  But  the  submarine  menace  was  far  from  ended  and — 
according  to  the  best  information — would  soon  be  greatly  aug- 
mented, while  the  increasing  number  of  transports  would  offer  the 
enemy  more  opportunities,  with  the  added  horror  of  troopship 
sinkings  in  prospect. 

Of  further  measures,  the  most  effective  would  be  such  a  block- 
ade as  would  keep  the  submarines  in  or  from  their  bases.  The 
British  had  already  mined  a  large  area  north  and  west  from 
Heligoland,  but  this  obstruction  was  not  insurmountable,  for  the 


i8  The  Yankee  ^Iixixg  Squadron 

Germans  from  nearby  could  always  clear  a  passage  through  when 
wanted.  In  any  case,  until  the  Skagerrack  passage  were  closed, 
the  submarines  might  use  that  route  without  hindrance.  Two 
weighty  reasons  kept  the  Skagerrack  open — unwillingness  to  vio- 
late neutral  waters,  and  the  ease  with  which  German  forces  could 
raid  any  barrier  near  their  bases.  It  may  be  recalled  with  what 
sudden  damage  a  small  German  cruiser  detachment  raided  a 
convoy  just  outside  the  Skagerrack,  in  October,  1917. 

To  be  effective,  therefore,  any  barrier  must  be  beyond  easy 
reach  of  a  raiding  force  and  cover  the  Skagerrack,  and  must  also 
be  far  enough  to  the  northward  of  the  British  bases  not  to  hamper 
the  battle  fleet's  engaging  with  the  enemy.  Hence,  the  anti- 
submarine barriers  should  be,  one  near  Dover  Strait,  the  other 
across  the  North  Sea,  from  Scotland  to  Norway. 

The  closing  of  Dover  Strait,  undertaken  by  the  British  Navy 
alone,  needs  no  further  mention  here.  Although  the  strong  tidal 
currents  there,  frequent  rough  seas,  and  hard,  smooth  bottom 
were  unfavorable  for  minefields,  other  means — such  as  a  line  of 
guard  vessels  moored  not  far  apart  and  equipped  with  powerful 
searchlights,  together  with  numerous  active  patrollers — were  em- 
ployed with  a  considerable  degree  of  success. 

The  Northern  Barrage  v/ould  be  too  long  a  front,  and  much 
of  it  too  far  from  base,  for  effective  patrol  without  a  great  number 
of  vessels.  A  wide,  thickly  sown  minefield,  however,  would  watch 
night  and  day  in  all  weathers  without  relief,  and  would  be  even 
more  effective  against  passage  submerged  than  against  passage  on 
the  surface,  because  of  the  less  wear  and  disturbance  of  the  mines 
by  wave  action,  deep  down  under  water. 

Currents  were  not  strong  in  the  northern  location,  but  the 
bottom  lay  as  deep  as  900  feet,  whereas  300  feet  had  heretofore 
been  the  deepest  water  ever  mined.  Merely  to  provide  the  mines 
meant  a  large  undertaking,  besides  involving  an  enormous 
quantity  of  the  same  high  explosive  which  was  likewise  in  heavy 
demand  for  shells  and  bombs.  Supposing  the  mines  ready,  the 
planting  of  so  many  would  be  a  long  and  dangerous  operation, 
employing  all  the  Allies'  existing  minelayers  indefinitely.  And 
neither  the  British  nor  ourselves  yet  had  a  mine  that  was  quite 
satisfactory  for  the  prospective  requirements. 


TiiR  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  19 

Our  Naval  lUireau  of  Ordnance,  however,  was  intent  on  finding;' 
the  means  for  such  a  l)arrier,  so  that  when,  in  May,  19 17,  among 
the  many  contrivances  offered  for  wMnnin<;-  the  war,  Mr.  Ralph  E. 
IJrowne,  an  electrical  engineer  of  Salem,  Massachusetts,  presented 
his  submarine  gun  for  consideration,  Commander  S.  P.  Fullin- 
wider,  U.  S.  N.,  in  charge  of  the  Bureau's  mining  afifairs,  saw 
that,  although  the  invention  was  not  suitable  for  naval  purposes 
in  the  form  offered,  a  new  electrical  device  which  it  contained,  if 
ap])lied  to  the  firing  mechanism  of  a  submarine  mine,  would  result 
in  just  what  we  were  looking  for — a  mine  at  once  sensitive  and 
far  reaching.  Mr.  Browne  collaborated  wdth  the  Bureau  of  Ord- 
nance in  developing  the  new  mine-firing  device.  By  July,  191 7, 
all  doubt  as  to  its  practicability  had  been  dispelled  and  the  Bureau 
of  Ordnance  was  able  to  give  assurance  that,  in  urging  the  closing 
of  the  German  bases,  our  navy  might  offer  the  means. 

Extravagant  claims  were  common  in  the  field  of  mining  inven- 
tions, and  three  years  of  war  lessons  in  the  perversity  of  mines 
made  the  British  naturally  skeptical  of  this  American  find.  An 
experienced  officer  in  mining  was  sent  over  to  see.  Lieutenant 
R.  H.  DeSalis,  R.  N.,  who  had  received  the  D.  S.  O.  for  some 
minelaying  on  the  Belgian  coast.  As  the  new  device  was  put 
through  its  paces  before  him,  the  chill  thawed  out  and  in  two 
hours  he  had  become  almost  an  enthusiast.  Upon  his  report  the 
British  Admiralty  took  up  the  plan  with  active  interest. 

Upon  returning  from  London  in  mid-October,  1917,  Admiral 
Mayo,  of  our  Atlantic  Fleet,  brought  back  the  outline  of  a  pro- 
posed minelaying  operation.  The  paper  was  quite  informal — un- 
signed, undated,  bearing  in  pencil  across  the  top,  "  Admiralty 
would  be  glad  to  learn  whether  Navy  Department  concur  in  the 
plans  as  shewn." 

The  field  was  to  be  230  miles  long — the  distance  from  Wash- 
ington to  New  York — divided  into  three  parts,  the  middle  section, 
of  135  miles,  called  Area  A,  allotted  to  us,  because  the  reach  of 
the  new  American  mines  was  greater  than  ordinary — three  of 
them  covering  the  same  extent  as  eight  mines  of  other  types. 
Thus  numbers  and  effort  were  saved. 

There  would  be  three  "  systems,"  each  consisting  of  one  or 
more  rows  of  mines  just  below  the  surface,  dangerous  to  any  craft, 
and   other   rows   at   intermediate   and   extreme   depths,   so   that, 


20  The  Yaxkee  ]\Iinixg  Squadron 

whether  running'  on  the  surface  or  at  ordinary  submergence  or  as 
deep  as  240  feet,  a  submarine  had  the  odds  against  her.  In  the 
absence  of  patrol  vessels  to  drive  them  down,  submarines  would 
naturally  run  on  the  surface,  and  so  the  rows  of  upper  level  mines 
were  made  more  numerous  than  those  at  deeper  levels.  The 
stroke  of  a  mine  is  sudden  and  powerful,  and  while  a  vessel  on 
the  surface  may  survive  it,  to  a  submerged  submarine  it  is  usually 
fatal.  All  classes  of  vessels  shy  at  a  minefield,  and  that  the  Ger- 
mans shared  this  aversion  was  shown  by  captured  papers,  which 
made  it  clear  that  the  submarines  dreaded  nothing  so  much  as 
mines. 

The  scheme  was  unprecedented,  and  that  its  great  magnitude 
would  involve  a  mass  of  detail  requiring  very  careful  adjustment 
was  evident  on  the  most  cursory  examination.  Some  who  heard 
of  it  regarded  it  as  impossible,  and  foolish  to  attempt.  As  to  the 
new  mines,  the  very  basis  of  the  whole  project — since  a  complete 
unit  would  not  exist  for  several  months,  the  statement  of  Rear 
Admiral  Ralph  Earle,  Chief  of  the  Naval  Bureau  of  Ordnance, 
that  the  mines  would  be  forthcoming  in  season,  had  to  be  based 
upon  tests  of  the  mine  only  by  parts,  with  the  assumption  that  all 
would  function  properly  when  assembled.  Action  upon  that  assur- 
ance would  at  once  involve  upward  of  forty  million  dollars,  which 
made  his  stand  a  bold  one,  inviting  unmeasured  odium,  should  the 
mine  after  all  fail.  To  await  the  mine's  final  proving,  however, 
would  have  been  fatal  to  any  possibility  of  beginning  the  bar- 
rage before  1919. 

The  task  of  laying  the  barrier  w'ould  be  hazardous  in  itself,  with 
constant  danger  of  interruption  by  the  enemy.  A  single  minefield 
in  the  open  sea.  or  widely  separated  ones,  presented  no  extreme 
difficulties,  but  to  lay  a  series  of  them  so  close  together  as  to  leave 
no  considerable  gaps  between,  made  a  problem  for  which  no  really 
practical  solution  w^as  yet  visible. 

For  four  days  the  project  was  under  consideration  by  the  Naval 
General  Board  at  Washington.  Time  pressed,  the  need  was  great, 
the  new  mine  very  promising.  The  attitude  of  our  officers  was 
favorable.  My  own  expressed  view,  based  on  three  years'  exper- 
ience in  mining,  was  that,  though  much  greater  difficulties  and 
magnitude  would  develop  even  than  yet  foreseen,  the  scheme  was 
nevertheless  feasible,  was  within  our  minelaying  experience  in 
])rinci]jlc,  and,  though  it  could  hardly  be  more  than  half  or  a 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  21 

quarter  effective,  it  was  well  worth  doing.  The  British  Admiralty's 
approval  and  belief  in  the  practicability  of  the  scheme  was  implied 
in  the  original  paper,  but  an  explicit  confirmation  was  asked  and 
obtained  by  cable,  on  the  basis  of  their  three  years'  war  experience 
and  knowledge  of  North  Sea  conditions.  And  so  the  plan  went 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  bearing  the  General  Board's  ap- 
proval, as  promising  a  sufficient  degree  of  success  to  warrant 
undertaking  it. 


22 


The  Yankee  ^Mining  Squadron 


CHAPTER  THREE 

The  Bases  in  Scotland 

The  British  Minelaying  Squadron  was  to  operate  from  Grange- 
mouth, near  Rosyth,  on  the  Firth  of  Forth.  As  a  mine  assembHng 
and  operating  base  for  the  American  Squadron,  the  British  naval 
authorities  decided  on  Inverness  and  Invergordon,  in  the  Scottish 
Highlands,  situated  on  Inverness  Firth  and  Cromarty  Firth,  re- 


U^\y 


m 


AIlXl::    ASSE.MIJLV    AND    SiURAGI;:    SllLD; 

U.  S.  Naval  Base  i8,  Inverness. 


spectively,  which  empty  into  Moray  Firth  about  eight  miles  apart. 
One  base  would  have  been  enough  and  in  some  respects  more 
convenient,  but  the  limited  transportation  means  across  Scotland 
necessitated  two.  To  require  the  slow  mine  carriers  to  navigate 
the  difficult  passages  around  the  north  of  Scotland  would  prolong 
their  exposure  to  submarines  and  cause  more  escort  duty  for  de- 
stroyers, so  it  was  decided  to  discharge  their  cargoes  on  the  west 
side,  at  points  which  gave  a  short  haul  across  Scotland — Fort 
William,  at  the  western  terminus  of  the  Caledonian  Canal,  and 
Kyle  of  Loch  Alsh,  where  one  crosses  to  the  Isle  of  Skye.  The 
cargoes  were  transported  by  canal  motor-barge  and  by  the  High- 
land Railway. 


The  Yankee  ^Mining  Squadrox  23 

In  order  lo  issue  mines  to  the  ships  ready  in  all  respects  for 
planting,  the  bases  needed  a  kirge  number  of  men  for  shop  work, 
besides  others  for  transportation,  police,  clerical  work,  messmen, 
and  sanitation.  The  entire  establishment  on  shore  was  under 
Captain  O.  G.  Murfin,  U.  S.  N.,  who  had  20  American  naval 
officers  and  1000  enlisted  men  at  each  base,  3  officers  and  60  men 
at  each  of  the  unloading  points.  Fort  William  (actually  at  Corpach 
village)  and  Kyle.  Headquarters  was  at  Inverness,  because  of 
its  superior  communications  and  more  central  location.  Captain 
Murfin  had  sailed  November  13,  for  England,  to  supervise  the 
preparation  of  the  bases.  With  him  had  gone  Commander  T.  L. 
Johnson,  then  commanding  the  small  minelayer  Dubuque,  who 
was  to  inform  himself  fully  on  the  situation  and  return  to  Wash- 
ington as  soon  as  practicable  with  answers  to  a  long  list  of  ques- 
tions— everything  we  could  then  think  of  as  useful  to  know  for 
intelligent  cooperation  in  the  preparations. 

The  large,  substantial,  stone  buildings  of  two  idle  distilleries, 
Dalmore,  three  miles  out  from  Invergordon,  and  Glen  Albyn,  at 
Muirtown,  where  the  Caledonian  Canal  locks  out  to  Inverness 
Firth — clean,  dry,  and  well  ventilated — gave  excellent  living  ac- 
commodations for  the  men.  The  smaller  buildings  made  suitable 
offices,  but  considerable  additions  were  made  for  messing,  cooking, 
and  washing  arrangements.  A  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut  was  established  in 
each  base,  and  at  Inverness  the  little  Muirtown  Hotel  was  trans- 
formed into  a  small  hospital.  This,  and  similar  provision  at 
Dalmore,  all  under  Captain  E.  J.  Grow  (M.  C),  were  for  mild 
or  emergency  cases.  The  main  dependence  for  hospital  care  was 
Strathpeffer — a  "  hydro  "  cure  in  peace  time — 20  miles  from  either 
base.  There  a  U.  S.  Naval  Base  Hospital  of  1000  beds  had  been 
established,  under  Captain  E.  S.  Bogert,  Medical  Corps,  with  the 
Leland  Stanford  unit. 

The  buildings  for  mine  assembly  and  storage  were  erected  on 
adjacent  vacant  land,  spur  tracks  being  brought  in  from  the  main 
railw^ay  line,  thus  making  good  communication  between  the  two 
bases,  as  well  as  with  their  receiving  sources  and  shipping  out 
points.  Most  of  the  machine  tools  and  other  shop  and  office  equip- 
ment, as  well  as  furnishings  for  the  men's  use,  came  from  the 
United  States. 

Some  dredging  was  done  in  Inverness  Firth  to  admit  our  mine- 
layers into  Beauly  Basin,  near  the  canal  entrance.    The  navigation 


24  The  Yankee  ^Iixing  Squadron 

marks  for  entering  the  Firth  were  improved,  because  ordinarily 
vessels  of  our  size  seldom  came  in  there,  and  then  only  by  day.  In 
addition,  the  whole  length  of  the  Caledonian  Canal  was  lighted, 
for  night  navigation  by  the  mine  carrying  lighters. 

Labor  was  scarce  in  the  Highlands  and  the  weather  that  winter 
was  severe.  The  work  went  slowly,  delayed  considerably  beyond 
expectation.  Captain  Murfin  had  many  discouragements,  and  dis- 
appointments in  deliveries  from  the  United  States.  In  spite  of  the 
kindness  of  all  about  him,  he  must  often  have  felt  very  far  away 
from  home ;  but  afterwards,  the  frank  admiration  repeatedly  ex- 
pressed by  all  visitors  to  the  bases  must  have  repaid  his  six  long 
months  of  effort.  In  the  end,  the  bases  w^ere  ready  in  time,  and 
their  capacity,  and  the  rate  of  transportation  as  well,  were  twice 
the  original  estimate,  the  two  bases  together  being  capable  of 
assembling  looo  mines  a  day  ready  for  planting. 

Sending  over  the  base  personnel  began  with  small  drafts  in 
December,  but  as  accommodations  for  the  full  number  were  not 
ready  soon  enough,  and  the  demand  to  use  all  transportation 
for  troops  became  pressing  during  the  Germans'  great  drive  in 
March,  1918,  the  base  complements  were  not  more  than  about 
two-thirds  full  when  the  mine  squadron  sailed  from  the  United 
States  coast  in  May.  The  greater  part,  750,  of  the  number  then 
lacking  had  therefore  to  be  brought  over  by  the  squadron.  Though 
this  retarded  the  proper  organizing  of  the  base  personnel,  it  did 
not  delay  the  minelaying. 


The  Yankki-:  ^Fining  Squadron 


-D 


CHAPTER  FOUR 
The  Supply  of  Mines 
In  the  same  past  six  months  other  preparations,  too,  had  lieen 
pushing  ahead,  both  at  home  and  abroad.     Providing  the  mines — 


A  Mine  in  Mid-Air,  Being  Hoisted  in. 
The  Plummet  is  at  the  Lower  Left  Corner. 

the  task  of  our  Naval  Bureau  of  Ordnance — would  alone  make  a 
story  of  great  interest.  Considering  how  long  it  had  taken  to 
develop  previous  types  of  mines,  to  have  made  a  success  of  an 
invention  that  was  new  since  our  entering  the  war  was  indeed 


26  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

remarkable,  the  more  so  from  inability  to  test  a  single  mine  com- 
plete before  ordering  100,000. 

Mines  for  the  open  sea  in  great  numbers,  moored  "  flying  " — 
that  is,  by  ships  steaming  at  considerable  speed — need  anchors 
with  automatic  depth  regulation.  Such  mechanism  had  undergone 
important  changes  during  the  war,  and  the  new  American  mines 


Launching  a  Mine  Through  the  Stern  Port. 
There  is  a  Nine-Foot  Drop,  from  Rails  to  Water. 

needed  all  the  improvements,  to  make  them  sure  to  plant  at  the 
intended  level.  They  were  to  be  much  deeper  than  ever  attempted 
before,  and  also  in  deeper  water. 

Three  British  officers  of  considerable  mine  experience  assisted 
here,  Lieut.  Commander  H.  O.  Mock,  R.  N.  R,,  Lieutenant  R.  H. 
DeSalis,  R.  N.,  and  Lieut.  Commander  Harold  Isherwood,  R.  N. 
V.  R.    The  last  was  an  expert  designer,  and  had  an  important  part 


Till':  Yankee  Mixing  Squadron 


27 


in  planning  our  new  mine  anchor,  which  was  similar  to  a  late 
model  British  mine  anchor. 

A  submarine  mine  of  to-day  consists  of  a  mine  case,  shaped  like 
a  ball  or  egg',  about  one  yard  in  diameter,  mounted  on  an  anchor 
in  the  form  of  an  iron  box  al)out  30  inches  square,  connected  by 
a  wire  rope  mooring  cable,  about  §  inch  in  diameter.  The 
mine  case  contains  the  charge  of  high  explosive — 300  pounds  of 
TNT  in  our  mines — and  the  iiring  mechanism.  The  combina- 
tion stands  about  5   feet  high  and  weighs   1400  pounds.     Four 


The  Sequence  of  Operations  After  a  Mine  is  Launched. 

small  car  wheels  on  the  anchor  run  on  steel  tracks,  allowing  the 
mines  to  be  easily  moved  along  the  decks  to  the  launching  point. 
When  the  mine  dives  overboard,  the  mine  and  anchor  come  to 
the  surface  and  float  for  a  time,  still  held  together,  part  of  the 
mine  case  above  water.  Outside  the  anchor  is  a  90-pound  plummet, 
containing  a  reel  of  ^-inch  diameter  steel  wire  "  plummet  cord,'' 
made  the  same  length  that  the  mine  is  to  be  below  the  surface. 
Thus,  if  the  mine  is  to  be  160  feet  beneath  the  surface,  the  cord 
is  made  160  feet  long.  The  plummet  drops  off  when  the  mine 
goes  overboard,  unreels  its  cord,  coming  to  the  end  with  a  jerk 


28  The  Yankee  AIinixg  Squadron 

that  trips  the  shp  hook  which  holds  the  mine  and  anchor  together. 
The  puU  on  the  cord  also  hfts  the  latch  on  the  reel  inside  the 
anchor,  allowing  the  mooring  wire  to  unwind.  The  nearly  solid 
plummet  tends  to  sink  faster  than  the  more  bulky  anchor,  thus 
keeping  the  cord  taut  until  the  plummet  strikes  bottom.  The 
cord  then  at  once  slackens,  releasing  the  latch,  locking  the  reel, 
and  preventing  any  more  mooring  wire  unwinding.  The  anchor, 
continuing  to  sink,  pulls  the  mine  under  until  the  anchor  strikes 
bottom.  The  mine  is  thus  finally  moored  always  at  the  desired 
depth  beneath  the  surface,  no  matter  how  irregular  the  ocean 
bed  may  be.  The  mine  cases  are  buoyant  enough  to  pull  straight 
up  from  their  anchors  ordinarily,  but  in  a  current  they  are  swayed 
away  from  the  vertical,  which  dips  them  down  somewhat  deeper 
than  intended.  For  this  reason,  any  locality  where  the  currents 
are  strong  is  unfavorable  for  a  minefield — one  of  the  difficulties 
the  British  Navy  had  to  contend  with  in  closing  the  Dover  Strait. 

The  new  mine  having,  by  October,  been  carried  past  the  experi- 
mental stage  as  to  its  principal  features,  by  the  Naval  Torpedo 
Station  at  Newport,  R.  L,  some  important  mechanical  details  of 
the  mine  yet  remaining  were  now  worked  out  by  the  Baltimore, 
Captain  A.  W.  Marshall,  working  directly  under  the  Bureau  of 
Ordnance.  By  the  time  complete  units  were  ready,  the  Baltimore 
had  been  sent  abroad,  so  the  proof  testing  devolved  upon  the 
San  Francisco,  Captain  H.  V.  Butler.  This  came  in  March  and 
April. 

No  throw  of  the  dice  was  ever  watched  more  intently  than  those 
first  proof  tests.  Upwards  of  forty  million  dollars  had  been  staked 
on  them  and  were  already  half  spent.  Results  on  the  first  day 
made  us  feel  easy,  but  it  was  two  days  more — from  various  de- 
lays— before  we  succeeded  in  exploding  a  full  loaded  mine.  This 
had  been  planted  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  well  marked  and  guarded, 
in  the  very  same  deep  hole  where  a  whirlpool  efifect  troubled  the 
German  submarine  Deutschland  on  her  first  return  trip.  It  was 
not  possible  to  place  the  mine  far  from  the  fairway,  however, 
since  the  water  elsewhere  was  not  deep  enough  for  our  purpose. 
Early  the  second  morning,  the  battleship  Arizona  came  along, 
heading  too  near  it.  The  signal  "  You  are  standing  into  a  mine- 
field! "  sent  her  rudder  hard  over  and  engines  full  speed  astern. 
We  could  see  the  mud  stirred  up,  from  two  miles  away.  Since 
we  could  not  get  the  mine  up,  what  a  relief  it  was  when  it  was 
set  ofif  at  last  by  sweeping ! 


'rill-;  \'.\NKi;i':  ^Mixing  Squadrox  29 

The  final  proving-  of  the  mine  as  a  whole,  which  was  completed 
in  April,  off  Cape  Ann,  did  not  take  place  until  after  several 
cargoes  of  mine  parts  had  been  shipped  abroad,  but  the  mine's 
success,  from  its  first  trials,  showed  how  careful  and  observant 
had  been  all  those  who  were  concerned  in  its  designing  and 
testing. 

The  prospect  in  October  was  that  the  shii)ment  of  mines  would 
begin  in  January,  but  through  delay  in  completing  the  detailed 
j)lans  and  from  the  abnormal  industrial  conditions  prevailing, 
these  shipments  did  not  attain  a  regular  flow  until  May,  so  that  the 
ships  and  the  mines  were  ready  together. 

Secrecy,  as  well  as  timely  delivery,  caused  the  manufacturing  to 
be  partitioned  among  500  contractors  and  sub-contractors,  some 
of  them  as  far  west  as  the  Mississippi.  Certain  mine  parts  from 
different  makers  were  put  together  by  still  others,  and  all  parts 
flowed  toward  Norfolk,  Virginia,  the  trans-Atlantic  shipping 
point.  Planning  this  dividing  up,  placing  the  contracts,  and 
arranging  for  the  inspection  of  all — taking  into  account  the  trans- 
portation involved  and  the  many  different  kinds  of  firms — wire 
rope  makers,  automobile  concerns,  foundries,  machine  shops,  elec- 
tricians, die-presses,  and  even  candymakers — it  was  indeed  a  com- 
plex web.  What  tireless  industry  and  what  endless  patience 
under  pressure  went  into  this  work,  only  Commander  Fullinwider 
and  his  assistants  can  fully  appreciate. 

A  large  plant  to  charge  the  mines  with  explosive  w^as  built 
alongside  the  Naval  Magazine  at  St.  Julien's  Creek,  near  the  Nor- 
folk Navy  Yard.  This  plant  was  of  capacity  larger  than  any  other 
of  the  kind,  ample  for  handling  1000  mines  a  day.  The  high 
explosive  was  melted  in  steam  kettles  to  about  the  consistency 
of  hasty  pudding,  and  drawn  off,  300  pounds  of  TNT  at  a  time, 
into  the  mine  spheres.  An  automatic  device  shut  the  flow  off  at 
the  right  weight,  and  a  mechanical  conveyer  carried  the  mines 
along  slowly,  to  the  pier  end,  by  which  time  they  would  be  cool 
enough  to  load  into  the  waiting  ship.  Hot  work  around  those 
steam  kettles  through  the  long  summer!  A  quiet  but  important 
corner,  handling  25,000,000  pounds  of  TNT,  with  constant 
risk  from  fire.  Several  of  the  sailors  were  overcome  by  the 
kettles'  poisonous  fumes,  and  one  died.  The  duty  w^as  monotonous 
and  inconspicuous  but  was  done  with  praiseworthy  faithfulness. 


30 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 


CHAPTER  FIVE 
General  Supplies  and  Transportation 
Under  the  extraordinary  demand  prevailing-  abroad  for  food 
and  all  kinds  of  military  material,  it  was  only  fitting  that  ordinary 
supplies  for  our  part  of  the  Northern  Barrage  operation  should 
come  from  America,  British  sources  to  be  used  only  for  fuel 
and  fresh  provisions.  Details  are  needless  here,  except  to  men- 
tion their  completeness — largely  due  to  the  efforts  of  Captain  G.  C. 


A  Mine  Carrier  Steamer. 

Twenty-Four  of  These  were  Constantly  Employed  to  Transport  the  Mine 
Parts  Over  to  Scotland  for  Assembly  and  Laying. 

Schafer  of  the  Pay  Corps.  After  starting  things  fair  at  home. 
he  sailed  about  mid-December  for  England,  where  the  needs  of 
the  bases  could  be  best  determined.  With  him  went  Assistant 
Paymaster  R.  N.  Smither,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  who  later  became  his 
successor,  and  Lieutenant  Thomas  Newhall,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  who 
had  been  enrolled  for  duty  principally  in  connection  with  trans- 
porting the  mine  carriers'  cargoes  across  Scotland.  His  experi- 
ence in  railroading  and  his  tactful  energy  made  a  valuable  asset. 
After  their  departure,  purchases  and  deliveries  were  followed  up 
indefatigably  by  Assistant  Paymaster  A.  B.  Peacock,  U.  S.  N. 
R.  F.,  who  was  quite  successful  in  bringing  pressure  to  bear  effec- 
tively. One  morning,  after  a  certain  freight  car  had  been  missing 
for  two  weeks,  he  reported  that  eight  railroad  presidents  were 


Till-  Yankke  Mining  Squadron  31 

now  interested  personally  in  the  search — and  t4ie  car  was  then 
found. 

For  transportation  beyond  the  seaboard,  cargoes  of  mines  must 
go  in  special  ships,  which  could  carry  also  the  general  supplies 
for  the  operation.  The  mine  carriers  should  be  small  rather  than 
large,  to  minimize  the  efifect  on  the  progress  of  the  operation  in 
the  event  of  losing  one.  About  60,000  tons  in  constant  employ- 
ment being  needed,  24  of  the  so-called  "  Lake  "  steamers  were 
selected,  built  on  the  Great  Lakes  for  coastwise  service,  of  2500 
tons  average  capacity.  They  were  armed  against  submarines, 
manned  by  naval  crews,  and  would  sail  in  convoy,  two  or  three 
every  eight  days,  beginning  in  February.  Their  fitting  out  and 
management  came  under  the  Naval  Overseas  Transport  Service, 
which  furnished  them  according  to  schedule.  Slow  speed,  due  to 
their  small  size  and  cheap  build,  made  them  good  prey  for  sub- 
marines, which  sank  one  of  these  carriers  in  April,  the  Lake  Moor, 
with  41  of  her  crew — almost  our  only  loss  of  life  in  the  whole 
operation.  This  was  another  part  of  the  whole  operation  that  was 
obscure,  though  all-impOrtant,  which  would  yet  have  been  very 
conspicuous  had  it  not  been  so  well  done. 

The  great  amount  and  the  dangerous  nature  of  these  cargoes 
needed  special  arrangements  for  embarking  them,  for  which 
Southern  Railway  Pier  No.  4,  at  Pinner's  Point,  opposite  Norfolk, 
Virginia,  was  taken  exclusively.  This  pier  being  large  enough 
to  assemble  several  cargoes  at  once,  the  entire  cargoes  could  be 
loaded  there,  and  that  was  the  plan,  until  the  great  disaster  at 
Halifax  aroused  strong  local  opposition  concerning  the  place  of 
loading  the  mines  on  board.  It  was  too  late  then  to  relocate 
the  plant  for  charging  the  mines  with  TNT,  and  as  the  ground 
of  local  opposition  was  undeniably  well  taken,  a  real  problem  was 
presented.  To  take  the  loaded  mines  in  lighters  from  the  maga- 
zine 17  miles  to  the  Explosives  Anchorage,  as  first  proposed, 
would  have  been  very  slow — almost  impossible  in  bad  weather — 
even  had  ample  towage,  lighterage,  and  labor  been  available, 
besides  involving  an  extra  handling  for  every  mine,  with  attendant 
damage  and  risk.  Thanks  to  the  timely  exertions  of  Captain  W.  J. 
Maxwell,  U.  S.  N.,  who  was  in  general  charge  of  the  loading  and 
despatch  of  mines,  a  channel  was  dredged  up  to  the  magazine  pier, 
where  the  steamers  could  embark  the  mines  directly,  after  loading 


32  The  Yankee  ^Mining  Souadrox 

the  unobjectionable  part  of  their  cargoes  at  Pier  4.     Thus  local 
interests  were  quieted  with  the  greatest  measure  of  safety. 

Several  ingenious  arrangements  were  devised  for  handling  the 
mine  material  quickly.  Two  mine  anchors  fastened  together. 
1600  pounds,  could  be  trundled  about  by  one  man,  making  a  con- 
siderable labor  saving  on  loading  2000  in  one  cargo.  The  pier 
became  also  the  sub-assembly  point  for  some  mine  parts,  requiring 
a  shop,  as  well  as  shipping  organization.  All  was  done  by  naval 
enlisted  men,  under  the  supervision  of  Lieutenant  A.  J.  Love  and 
Lieut.  Commander  R.  E.  Corcoran  (P.  C).  It  was  not  long 
before  these  steamers  began  to  take  supplies  also  for  our  Battle 
Squadron  with  the  Grand  Fleet,  500  tons  at  a  time. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  33 


CHAPTER  SIX 
A  Sample  of  Quality 

While  details  were  shaping  for  proving  the  mine  early  in  March, 
an  urgent  request  came  from  the  British  Admiralty  for  one  or 
more  minelayers  to  help  lay  a  field  in  the  North  Irish  Channel. 
This  passage  was  used  by  slow  convoys  to  the  west  coast,  making 
port  first  at  Lamlash  in  the  island  of  Arran,  and  submarine  activity 
here  needed  to  be  checked.  The  sinking  of  the  Tuscania  had 
taken  place  in  this  vicinity. 

At  that  time,  only  the  San  Francisco  and  Baltiuwrc  could  be 
considered  for  this  duty,  and  as  the  former  was  flagship,  the 
Baltimore  was  sent.  To  "  How  soon  can  you  go?  "  over  long  dis- 
tance wire,  Captain  Marshall  answered  "  Right  away,"  guessing  at 
the  destination,  and  on  March  4  he  sailed  from  New  York  to  join 
H.  M.  S.  Leviathan  as  escort  for  a  fast  convoy  out  of  Halifax. 

By  popular  standards,  the  Baltimore  was  a  musty  back  num- 
ber— years  older  than  many  of  her  officers  and  crew — but  she  had 
been  at  Manila  Bay  with  Dewey  and  had  otherwise  distinguished 
herself  in  a  long  and  varied  career.  Though  classed  as  a  poor 
steamer,  the  ease  with  which,  time  after  time,  she  produced  extra 
speed  at  a  pinch  was  a  standing  joke.  Thanks  to  a  good  overhaul 
early  in  the  war  and  to  the  ability  and  contagious  enthusiasm 
of  her  engineer,  Lieutenant  R.  P.  Molten,  U.  S.  N.,  she  now 
topped  a  9-day  transatlantic  run  at  13  knots,  for  the  most  part 
in  rough  weather,  with  a  three-hour  spurt  at  18.6  knots — 2  knots 
faster  than  was  supposed  to  be  safe  for  her  engines — just  to  keep 
pace  with  the  Leviathan. 

She  arrived  at  Greenock,  Scotland,  Alarch  17,  ready  for  work, 
but  was  so  much  earlier  than  expected  that  her  first  mines  were 
not  delivered  until  April  13.  Without  any  preparatory  trials, 
though  the  mines  were  British,  of  a  type  new  to  the  Baltimore, 
she  went  out  at  once,  beginning  the  deep  minefield  between  the 
island  of  Islay  and  the  Irish  coast,  which  was  to  prevent  sub- 
merged but  not  surface  passage. 

More  mines  in  excess  of  her  reported  capacity  having  been  sent 
to  her,  10  had  to  be  carried  on  the  upper  deck,  and  the  last  one 
of  these  mines,  in  going  down  the  elevator,  was  jambed,  due  to 


34  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

the  roll  of  the  ship,  and  held  suspended  in  the  elevator  shaft. 
William  J.  Powers,  gunner's  mate,  ist  class,  promptly  of  his  own 
initiative,  at  imminent  risk  of  the  1800-pound  weight  falling  or 
one  of  the  mine's  firing  horns  breaking,  removed  the  detonator 
and  with  it  the  great  menace  to  the  ship.  Before  the  Baltimore's 
next  trip,  her  own  mechanics  extended  the  launching  deck  tracks, 
to  accommodate  180  instead  of  170  mines,  since  the  British  naval 
authorities  wished  her  to  plant  the  larger  number  each  time.  Four 
times  more  she  planted  180  mines,  April  18,  21,  28  and  May  2, 
planting  always  at  night,  in  an  area  infested  with  svibmarines. 

Extra  careful  navigation  was  required,  both  to  lay  the  mines 
just  where  intended,  as  their  anchor  cables  had  been  cut  to 
fit  (anchors  not  automatic),  and  to  approach  close  to  the  mine- 
fields previously  laid,  yet  avoid  them.  In  one  such  operation,  the 
gyro-compass  went  wrong  at  a  critical  moment.  The  navigator, 
Lieut.  Commander  George  W.  Hewlett,  U.  S.  N.,  kept  his  head 
and  held  his  peace,  applying  the  corrections  to  the  magnetic  com- 
pass with  coolness  and  accuracy,  as  if  maneuvering  to  avoid  a 
sand  bank,  instead  of  to  clear  a  minefield  by  only  500  yards. 

The  Baltimore  laid  this  whole  minefield  unassisted,  899  mines 
in  all.  She  worked  directly  under  Rear  Admiral  Clinton-Baker, 
R.  N.,  who  wired  his  congratulations  upon  the  successful  comple- 
tion of  the  first  three  operations,  and  when,  at  the  end  of  May, 
she  was  recalled  to  our  squadron,  he  wrote  to  Captain  Marshall : 

Once  more  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  all  that  you  have  done  and  for  the 
very  willing  help  which  you,  your  officers  and  ship's  company  have  always 
given.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  the  work  which  you  commenced  and 
so  admirably  carried  out  is  not  to  be  completed,  at  any  rate  for  the  present, 
though  doubtless  you  will  be  doing  equally  useful  work  elsewhere  in  the 
near  future.    Good  luck  to  you  and  your  ship. 

This  minefield  accounted  for  two  enemy  submarines  and  there 
was  little  further  submarine  activity  in  that  vicinity,  which  should 
be  credited  largely  as  an  achievement  of  our  squadron.  And  as 
a  sample  of  quality  before  the  North  Sea  mining  began,  the  Balti- 
more's work  gave  our  colleagues  confidence  that  we  could  do 
our  part — by  far  the  largest  portion — in  that  great,  open  sea 
operation.    As  immortalized  in  our  song: 

"  The  Baltimore  was  the  first  away. 
Slie  traveled  a  thousand  miles  a  day, 
To  sliow  the  AlHes  tlie  lively  way 
Of  the  Yankee  Mining  Squadron." 


The  Yankee  ^Mixing  Souadhox 


35 


CHAPTER  SEVEN 

Mine  Assembling  and  Emuarkixg 

Following  the  conference  on  board  the  Queen  Elizabeth,  our 
bases  worked  full  blast  on  the  mines  for  the  first  operation.  One 
group  assembled  and  tested  the  anchors,  another  the  mines,  a 
third  the  plummet,  a  fourth  the  ])lummct  and  anchor  together, 
and  a  fifth,  the  final  assembly,  of  mine  and  anchor  complete — 
called  a  unit.  A  section  of  mine  track  of  standard  gauge  sufficed 
to  test  the  anchor  wheels  and  thus  obviate  trouble  on  l)oard  from 
their  binding  or  dropping  l)etwcen  the  ship's  tracks  during  mine- 


MiNES  AND  MixE  An'cixoks  Awaitixg  Asse.mdlv. 
The  Anchors  were  Shipped  in  Pairs,  for  Convenience  in  Handling. 

laying,  possibly  causing  an  interrupted  string.  It  speaks  well  for 
the  manufacture,  for  the  testing  at  the  bases,  and  for  the  ship's 
mine  track  installations,  that  no  such  interruption  ever  occurred 
in  the  whole  series  of  operations. 

The  adjustment  of  firing  mechanism  was  done  in  a  locked  room, 
the  secret  entrusted  only  to  a  few.  It  was  delicate  w^ork,  to  be 
done  patiently  and  methodically,  for  its  accuracy  determined 
whether  the  mine  would  be  alive — or  a  dud.  Fidelity  in  such 
adjustments  is  hard  enough  to  maintain  when  the  repetitions  are 
numbered  only  by  tens.  Where  hundreds  and  thousands  are 
involved  the  tax  on  attention  becomes  severe. 

Before  loading  the  mines  into  the  cars,  for  transfer  to  the 
lighters,  each  mine  was  primed  with  a  mealed  TXT  "  booster  " 
charge  and  the  firing  detonator  was  put  in  place — all  ready  for  the 


36 


The  Yankee  AIinixg  Squadron 


laying — and  five  safety  devices  were  seen  in  place  and  in  order. 
These  devices  would  prevent  the  firing"  mechanism  working  until 
the  mine  had  reached  a  certain  minimum  depth  under  water  and 
had  been  in  the  water  about  20  minutes,  and  would  also  prevent 
exploding  in  case  of  loss  overboard  during'  eml^arking.  Such 
devices  usually  function  properly,  and  dependence  is  not  placed 
on  one  alone  but  on  several  together,  any  one  of  which  will  make 
the  mine  safe  to  handle — by  experienced  men.  At  an  early  stage 
in  the  training  in  mines,  one  learns  to  treat  them  with  respect 
akca\'s — no  liberties.  Even  the  safest  explosives,  the  surest  mech- 
anism, have  an  occasional,  inexplicable  aberration. 


Loading  Mines  into  Lighters. 
At  Base  18,  on  the  Caledonian  Canal,  at  Liverness. 


The  ready  mines  are  swung  up  into  open  freight  cars,  for  haul- 
ing to  the  water  side,  whence  they  go,  40  to  80  together,  in  lighters 
out  to  the  ships.  After  being  landed  on  the  tracks  of  the  mine- 
layer, one  safety  pin  is  removed — leaving  four — and  the  mine  is 
then  examined  for  any  derangement  during  the  three  handlings 
in  transit  from  the  store  shed. 

Ihe  north  of  Scotland  was  a  barred  area,  yet  it  was  reported  pos- 
sible for  information  to  get  through  to  the  enemy  in  18  to  20 
hours — time  enough  for  interference  to  hatch  out.  With  so  much 
activity  at  the  bases,  lighters  going  to  the  ships  loaded  and  return- 
ing empty,  and  a  large  destroyer  escort  coming  in  on  5  June,  the 


The  "S'^ankki-:  ]\Iixixg  Squadron  37 

fact  that  an  operation  was  in  early  pro.si)ect  was  oljvious.  The 
hour  of  departure  at  least  could  be  kept  secret,  and  the  start  was 
fixed  for  midnii^ht.  The  two  detachments  of  the  mine  squadron 
and  the  destroyer  escort  would  assemble  at  i  o'clock  a.  m..  7  June, 
just  outside  the  Sutors,  the  hish  rocky  headlands  at  the  mouth  of 
Cromarty  Firth.  On  this  first  occasion  the  preparations  continued 
until  one  hour  before  the  ships  wei.^hed  anchor. 

Rehearsal  of  this  operation  had  been  impossible  except  on  paper, 
but  careful  study  of  it  had  produced  instructions  that  were  com- 
prehensive, yet  elastic  enough  for  emergency.     The  order  for  the 


?- 


Squadron  Flagship  "  San  Francisco." 
Receiving  Mine  Lighters  Alongside  in  Inverness  Firth. 

operation  gave  a  complete  program,  including  a  mining  schedule 
showing  the  time  when  each  ship  was  to  begin  laying  and  how 
many  mines  to  plant.  This  was  gone  over  with  the  captains,  and 
then  Captain  H.  R.  Godfrey,  R.  N.,  and  I  had  a  conference  with 
Rear  Admiral  Strauss,  on  the  general  features  of  the  excursion. 
Captain  Godfrey,  commanding  H.  M.  S.  Vampire  and  the  14th 
Destroyer  Flotilla,  was  our  first  escort  leader. 

Our  operation  was  to  be  no  "  captains'  fight."  Teamwork  was 
indispensable.  Every  ship  must  keep  in  her  station  throughout 
and  do  her  allotted  stint  exactly  on  time.  The  instructions  said, 
"  Once  begun,  keep  strictly  to  schedule  times,  regardless  of  the 


38  The  Yankee  ^Mining  Squadron 

omission  of  signals  or  delay  in  them."  Otherwise  there  would 
be  gaps  in  the  barrier,  impossible  to  fill  without  waste  of  time 
and  space,  and  mines  would  be  brought  back  that  should  have  been 
planted.  Teamwork  in  the  high  degree  wanted  meant  every  man 
alive  to  his  interest  in  the  general  result  and  sensible  to  his  respon- 
sibility for  his  part  in  it.  All  would  learn  this  in  time,  but  it 
must  be  driven  home  beforehand.  It  was  of  utmost  importance 
that  the  first  operation  should  be  an  unquestionable  success. 

Accordingly,  after  making  the  preliminary  inspection  of  each 
new  ship,  I  spoke  to  each  ship's  company,  partly  to  comment  on 
their  work  so  far,  but  chiefly  to  enlist  the  best  efforts  of  each 
individual.  Rumor  and  conjecture  were  the  sources  of  all  they 
had  learned  hitherto  of  the  work  ahead  of  them.  Now  they  were 
told  something  of  its  magnitude  and  importance — that  it  had  been 
regarded  as  doubtful  of  accomplishment,  but  their  squadron  com- 
mander had  promised  success  in  their  name,  promised  the  kind  of 
sticcess  that  comes  only  with  the  best  teamwork  throughout  the 
ship  and  by  all  ships  in  the  squadron.  Every  man  should  realize 
that  now,  in  war,  his  utmost  was  called  for,  as  never  before  in 
his  life;  that  however  simple  and  unimportant  his  duty  might 
seem,  it  was  his  to  do,  and  he  was  counted  on  not  to  be  content 
that  any  other  man's  work  should  be  better  done,  and  that,  in  our 
work,  prolonged  through  hours,  the  attention  must  never  slacken — 
the  6ooth  mine  must  be  as  carefully  tended  as  the  first.  The  men 
gave  the  closest  attention — not  an  eye  wavered,  hardly  a  muscle 
moved — giving  back  such  confidence  that,  on  board  the  Canonicits, 
which  I  had  found  in  fine  condition,  I  could  wind  up  with,  "  And 
when  the  last  mine  is  out,  the  only  signal  I  expect  to  send  to  you 
is  '  Canonicus  well  done  ' !  " 


The  Yaxkek  ^Mixing  Squadron'  39 


CHAPTER  EIGHT 

The  I'^iKST  A[in1':laving  Excursion 

The  eve  of  our  first  departure  was  drizzling  and  misty. 
Attempts  for  some  advance  sleep  were  of  no  avail — too  much 
pressure  had  directly  preceded.  When  11  o'clock  came  without 
sign  of  the  two  ships  due  from  the  inner  anchorage  in  Beauly 
Basin,  we  in  the  flagship  wondered  why.  The  tide  was  falling, 
another  half  hour  passed — would  they  never  come?  Signals  and 
radio  failed  to  get  through.  Very  soon,  if  not  already,  they 
would  be  unable  to  pass  through  the  new  dredged  channel.  At 
last,  near  midnight,  they  appeared.  The  pilots  had  been  delayed 
through  a  misunderstanding  on  shore,  in  itself  slight — but  it  was 
a  narrow  escape  from  being  10  hours  late,  which,  on  our  first 
operation,  would  have  made  a  bad  impression,  without  and  within. 

The  start  is  made  without  signals,  all  dark  and  noiseless  on 
board,  except  for  the  rumbling  chain  as  the  ship  gets  underway. 
As  the  San  Francisco  heads  out  slowly,  one  after  another  the 
signal  quartermaster  reports  the  other  ships  underway  and  follow- 
ing. We  take  two-thirds  speed  now.  The  full  number  of  lookouts 
are  at  their  stations  and  warned  to  be  alert,  and  the  men  are  now 
sent  to  the  battery,  making  a  little  stir  for  the  moment,  then  quiet 
falls  again.  Fort  George  show^s  the  signal  for  an  open  gate,  w^e 
increase  to  standard  speed,  and  as  the  second  ship  passes  out 
through  the  submarine  net,  they  all  form  single  column  astern 
and  close  up — to  500  yards  apart.  The  rocky  shore  looms  high 
and  black  on  the  left,  not  a  single  house  light  showing.  On  the 
ofifshore  side,  small  patrol  craft  can  be  dimly  seen,  on  watch 
against  lurking  danger.  Fifteen  minutes  more  and  we  see  long, 
low  forms  slinking  against  the  dark  background  of  North  Sutor. 
Those  are  the  escort  destroyers,  going  out  to  form  a  screen.  Close 
following  them  we  make  out  larger,  higher,  moving  shadows — our 
detachment  from  the  other  base — one,  two,  three,  four — five! 
All  there!  The  detachments  are  so  timed  that  they  reach  the 
junction  buoy  at  the  same  moment,  and  the  whole  squadron  stands 
on,  without  pause,  together,  10  ships  in  two  parallel  columns, 
500  yards  apart.  Ahead  and  on  either  side  are  four  destroyers, 
12  in  all.    No  signals,  no  lights,  no  sound  but  quiet  tones  on  the 


40 


The  Yankee  IMinixg  Squadron 


bridge  and  the  swash  of  the  water  overside.  Three  miles  along, 
the  water  deepens  to  60  feet.  A  screened  flash  from  the  flagship 
to  the  opposite  leader  and  the  squadron,  all  together,  slackens 
speed,  to  get  out  paravanes — those  underwater,  outrigger-like 
affairs  which  guard  against  anchored  mines  in  one's  path.  Only 
a  few  minutes,  then  up  each  column  comes  the  sign  "  yes,"  passed 
by  ships  in  succession — another  flash  from  the  flagship,  and  we 
resume  standard  speed  again,  keeping  on,  out  Moray  Firth, 
through  the  one-mile  wide  channel,  which  is  swept  daily  for  mines. 


The  Mine  Squadron  at  Sea. 
Returnine;  to  Base  After  Laving  the  Ninth  Minefield. 


Ofif  Pentland  Skerries,  near  John  O'Groat's  House,  we  turn 
east,  and  here  as  we  pass,  the  supporting  force  files  out  of  Scapa 
Flow — six  light  cruisers,  then  a  squadron  of  battle  cruisers  and 
another  of  four  battleships,  each  squadron  screened  by  six  de- 
stroyers. Very  impressive  are  these  great  ships,  majestic  in  move- 
ment, as  they  sweep  off  to  the  southward  and  eastward,  disappear- 
ing in  the  morning  haze,  which  magnifies  their  towering  bulk.  We 
see  them  no  more  until  ne.xt  day  but  know  they  are  there,  on 
guard  against  raiders. 


The  Yankke  Mining  Squadron  41 

The  British  Minelaying  Squadron  is  out,  too,  four  ships  with  a 
joint  capacity  of  1300  mines,  but  we  do  not  meet.  Though  pro- 
tected by  the  same  heavy  squadrons,  we  work  independently,  in 
different  areas.  They  are  bound  this  time  for  the  section  near  the 
Norway  coast.  Area  C  it  is  called,  while  we  are  to  begin  at  the 
southeastern  corner  of  the  middle  section,  Area  A,  and  work  to 
the  westward. 

Straight  over  to  Udsire  we  go,  a  small  island  oft'  the  Norway 
coast,  the  nearest  good  landmark  from  which  to  take  a  departure 
for  the  minelaying  start  point.  We  make  Udsire  Light  near  11.30 
p.  m.,  close  in  to  about  1 1  miles  distance,  turn  north  for  a  sufficient 
run  to  give  a  good  tix,  and  then  head  oft-shore.  Accurate  determi- 
nation of  the  minefield's  position  is  necessary  for  use  in  kiNing 
another  field  close  by  subsequently,  and  also  for  the  safety  of  the 
vessels  sweeping  the  mines  up  after  the  war.  There  must  be 
steady  steaming  and  steering,  with  a  minimum  of  changing 
course — no  hesitation,  no  trial  moves,  for  neither  the  time  at  dis- 
posal nor  the  submarine  risk  will  permit. 

All  goes  smoothly  until  the  turn  to  head  off-shore,  when  one 
destroyer  crosses  too  close  under  San  Francisco's  stern  and  cuts 
her  "  taut  wire."  This  is  fine  piano  wire,  fvu^nished  in  spools  of 
140  miles  of  wire,  the  whole  weighing  one  ton.  A  small  weight 
would  anchor  the  end  to  the  bottom,  and  then  a  mile  of  wire  meant 
a  mile  over  the  ground  without  question. 

The  wire  is  soon  started  again,  and  as  the  Baltimore  is  running 
her  wire  on  the  other  flank,  and  the  weather  is  clear  enough  for 
good  navigational  bearings  and  star  sights,  no  harm  is  done.  We 
head  for  a  position  seven  miles  in  advance  of  the  start  point,  so 
that  the  squadron  may  turn  together  to  the  minelaying  course  and 
have  still  a  half-hour  in  which  to  settle  down. 

It  is  a  busy  night  and  early  morning,  keeping  the  ships  in 
formation,  verifying  the  navigation,  keeping  a  keen  lookout  in 
every  direction  for  submarines — we  are  now  in  their  regular 
route — going  over  the  mines  for  final  touches  and  making  other 
preparations  necessarily  left  to  the  last.  About  4  o'clock,  Lieut. 
Commander  Cunningham,  the  flagship's  navigator,  reports  that 
we  shall  reach  the  start  point  at  5.27  a.  m.  Captain  Butler  and  I 
check  his  figures,  and  at  4.27  the  signal  is  made  that  minelaying 
will  begin  in  one  hour.  The  crews  go  to  mining  stations,  to  see 
all  clear  and  then  stand  by.     In  the  flagship  we  watch  for  the 


42  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

reports  of  readiness.  Ship  by  ship  they  signal  in  the  affirmative. 
They  are  ready,  every  one. 

Now  the  last  turn  has  been  made  and  the  signal  is  flying  to 
begin  laying  in  seven  minutes.  The  ships  are  formed  in  a  single 
line  abreast,  speeding  towards  the  start  point — like  race  horses 
Avhen  the  starter's  flag  is  up.  It  is  a  stirring  sight.  How  will  it 
go,  after  all  these  months — for  some  of  us  years — of  preparation? 
Our  work  to-day  will  mean  much  to  those  in  Washington. 

No  ship  is  off  the  line  by  so  much  as  a  quarter  length.  Com- 
mander Canaga  stands  with  watch  in  hand — "  two  minutes,  one 
minute,  thirty  seconds,  fifteen  ?  "  He  looks  up  inquiringly.  A 
nod — all  right.  "  Five  seconds — haul  down !  "  Up  go  the  red 
flags  on  the  first  ships  to  plant,  the  sign  that  their  minelaying 
has  begun,  and  word  comes  from  the  flagship's  launching  station 
at  the  stern,  "  First  mine  over."     All  well  so  far. 

The  minelaying  now  runs  entirely  by  the  time  table.  Each  ship 
gives  her  successor  five  minutes  warning  and,  as  her  last  mine 
dives  overboard,  shows  the  signal  "  Begin  minelaying  at  once ;  I 
have  suspended."  The  successor  begins  accordingly,  showing 
her  red  flag.  The  stafif  officers  on  board  the  Sail  Francisco  watch 
for  these  signals,  comparing  the  times  with  what  they  should  be, 
and  counting  also  the  seconds  elapsed  between  the  launching  of 
successive  mines,  from  the  ships  whose  sterns  we  can  see.  A  few 
seconds  out  now  and  then — otherwise  all  goes  according  to  sched- 
ule, just  as  planned  before  leaving  the  United  States. 

The  hardest  task  is  on  board  the  Housatonic — a  new  ship,  with 
a  new  mining  installation,  of  type  untried  in  service,  and  a  crew 
inexperienced  in  minelaying — dropping  675  mines  without  inter- 
mission, I  every  11^  seconds,  during  2  hours  and  10  minutes.  Her 
mate  is  standing  by,  ready  for  any  interruption,  but  the  Housatonic 
completes  the  task  without  a  break — making  a  world  record,  a 
continuous  line  of  mines,  28  miles  long.  On  a  later  occasion,  the 
Canonicus  planted  860  mines  in  3  hours  35  minutes,  an  unbroken 
line  of  43  miles. 

About  20  minutes  after  planting  began,  an  explosion  was  felt 
and  a  geyser  seen  astern.  A  few  minutes  later  the  same  occurred 
again,  and  other  explosions  followed,  at  varying  intervals  and 
distances,  some  just  visible  on  the  horizon.  Others  which  were 
nearer,  as  evidenced  by  the  sharpness  of  the  shock,  threw  up  no 
geyser,  indicating  that  they  were  at  the  middle  or  lowest  depth. 


The  Yank):I':  AIinixg  SniADuox  43 

In  the  proof  tests  held  off  Cape  Ann  in  April,  it  had  been 
observed  that  a  mine  at  the  middle  level,  160  feet  submerj^ence, 
made  no  surface  disturbance  when  detonated,  until  8  seconds  had 
elapsed,  and  then  only  as  much  as  the  wash  of  a  light  swell  over 
a  submerged  rock.  At  the  deepest  level,  240  feet  submergence, 
a  detonation  produced  no  more  surface  upheaval  than  there  is  in 
a  glass  of  well  iced  champagne.  The  ship  being  aljout  800  yards 
away,  the  shock  was  heavy  and  sharp.  The  water  surface  all 
over  could  be  seen  to  tremble  with  the  shock,  but  directly  over  the 
mine  itself,  when,  after  27  seconds,  the  gas  came  up,  there  was  no 
more  surface  disturbance  than  a  pleasure  canoe  could  have  ridden 
with  safety.  A  slick  on  the  water  would  follow,  but  this  could 
not  be  distinguished  at  much  over  a  mile  distance  nor  at  all  if 
there  were  a  white  cap  sea  running. 

Observers  recorded  the  number,  times,  and  approximate  posi- 
tions of  all  explosions  and,  on  board  the  San  Francisco  and  Balti- 
more, there  were  listeners  stationed  at  the  submarine  signal  re- 
ceivers, so  as  to  get  a  full  count.  All  observers  did  not  agree,  as 
the  indications  from  sounds  and  shocks  varied  according  to  dis- 
tance and  depth.  Some  explosions  gave  a  prolonged  reverbera- 
tion, at  times  sounding  to  the  unassisted  ear  like  two  or  three 
explosions  in  rapid  succession,  but  in  the  submarine  signal  receiver 
each  explosion  made  a  distinct  sound,  unmistakable. 

The  count  by  the  San  Francisco  and  Baltimore,  differing  by 
only  2,  practically  agreed  on  100  explosions,  or  about  3  per  cent 
of  all  mines  planted.  Although  a  perfect  record  was  desirable, 
the  detonations  showed  the  minefield  to  be  alive  and  sensitive,  and 
their  number  was  not  large  for  a  new  mine,  not  yet  long  enough 
in  service  to  refine  out  the  minor  defects. 

Surprising  enough  on  deck,  where  one  could  see.  that  first 
explosion  must  have  startled  the  men  in  the  engine  room,  in  the 
coal  bunkers,  and  on  the  lower  mine  decks.  The  blow  rings 
sharper  down  there,  where  resulting  damage,  in  broken  pipe  joints 
or  started  boiler  tubes,  might  be  expected  first.  Whether  gun. 
torpedo,  or  mine,  however,  it  is  all  one — the  duties  go  on  just  the 
same. 

As  the  mines  on  the  launching  deck  move  slowly  aft,  those  on 
lower  decks  move  forward,  to  the  elevators  and  up.  Working- 
spaces  are  cramped,  passages  narrow,  bulkhead  doors  closed 
wherever  possible.    At  the  right  time,  a  door  will  be  opened,  the 


44  The  Yankee  ^Mining  Squadron 

portable  section  of  mine  track  adjusted,  the  mines  in  that  com- 
partment hauled  out,  and  the  door  closed  again  water-tight,  all  as 
quickly  as  possible.  Close,  hot,  foul  with  oily  steam  and  sea- 
sickness— it  is  sweating,  disagreeable  work  below  decks.  But 
complaint  is  nowhere  in  the  ships.  The  feeling  is  well  expressed 
by  one  man,  writing  home : 

When  the  first  mine  went  over,  I  had  a  curious  feehng  of  exultation. 
The  fear,  the  perils,  the  uncertainties  that  surround  our  work,  slipped  from 
me  like  the  foolish  fancies  of  a  nightmare.  There,  at  last,  was  a  nail  in 
the  Kaiser's  coffin.  Come  what  might,  I  had  justified  my  existence.  Had 
the  whole  German  High  Seas  Fleet  appeared  in  the  offing,  I  am  sure  I 
should  have  gone  to  my  battle  station  with  a  shout  of  glee. 

Prolonged  activity,  in  preparing  the  squadron  and  bringing  it 
out,  makes  it  trying  now  for  me,  to  look  on,  hands  folded — nothing 
to  do  while  everything  goes  well — yet  constantly  alert,  for  instant 
decision  in  case  of  mishap.  After  nearly  four  hours,  the  schedule 
is  finished.  Some  marker  buoys  are  dropped,  for  later  use  in 
beginning  another  minefield.  The  line  of  ships  then  takes  the 
narrower  route  formation,  and  we  head  back  for  the  base.  Butler, 
Canaga.  and  I  exchange  quiet  congratulations.  Our  work  to- 
gether has  been  to  good  purpose. 

The  men  clean  up  the  decks,  get  a  wash  for  themselves,  and 
those  off  duty  drop  asleep — anywhere — the  deck  is  covered  with 
them.  On  top  of  the  duties  common  to  all  men-of-war,  to  move 
the  400-ton  masses  of  mines,  in  slow  but  steady  time,  is  very 
fatiguing,  even  with  steam  winches  to  help. 

We  are  not  finished  yet.  Expectation  of  a  quiet  afternoon  doze, 
handy  to  the  bridge,  is  rudely  dispelled  by  a  smoke  screen  started 
by  the  destroyers.  Unaware  it  is  only  an  exercise,  all  hands 
tumble  up  to  battle  stations.  Then  one  minelayer  must  stop,  to 
tighten  a  nut  working  loose.  Two  destroyers  are  left  to  guard 
her,  all  three  overtaking  us  in  a  few  hours.  Next  a  dirigible 
balloon  heaves  in  sight,  and  then  a  widespread  smoke  covers  the 
horizon,  developing  into  a  convoy  of  50  vessels.  Finally,  in  the 
midst  of  dinner,  the  siren  of  our  next  astern  shrieks  "  Submarine 
to  port !  " 

While  the  minelayers,  upon  signal,  swing  together  away  from 
the  danger  quarter,  the  Vampire  swoops  by  at  30  knots,  to  drop 
two  depth  charges  on  the  spot  indicated.  Captain  Godfrey  signals, 
"  Whatever  was  there,  those  charges  will  keep  him  down  for  a 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  45 

considerable  time."  All  quiet  again,  we  return  to  our  cold  prov- 
ender, remarking-  that,  as  a  name,  mine  squadron  is  ill  chosen. 
It  should  be  "  Crowded  Hour  Club." 

Reports  had  now  come  in  from  all  the  ships  that  there  had  been 
no  casualties.  All  were  prepared  to  undertake  another  operation 
upon  receiving  the  mines,  and  without  further  incident  we  re- 
turned to  our  former  anchorages,  arriving  at  3.30  next  morning. 
But  ere  that  day  closed,  so  memorable  in  our  lives,  I  signaled 
the  squadron : 

Tile  operation  to-day  was  an  excellent  performance  by  each  ship  and  by 
the  squadron  as  a  whole.  The  fact  of  some  premature  explosions  does  not 
detract  from  the  highly  creditable  mine  handling  and  steady  steaming.  Con- 
fidence in  the  personnel  and  faith  in  the  undertaking  are  well  justified,  and 
captains  may  well  be  proud  of  their  commands,  as  the  squadron  commander 
is  of  the  squadron. 


46  The  Yankee  ^Iixing  Squadron 


SQUADRON  ORGANIZATION  AND  SHIPS'  DATA 

Mine  Squadron  One,  U.  S.  Atlantic  Fleet 

(Designated  in  H.  B.  M.  Grand  Fleet,  Second  Minelaying  Squadron) 

Captain  Reginald  R.  Belknap,  U.  S.  N.,  Squadron  Commander 

Flagship — U.  S.  S.  Sail  Francisco 

Chief  of  staff *Captain  H.  V.  Butler. 

Aid  and  tactical  officer Commander  B.  L.  Canaga. 

Squadron   construction   and   mining 

officer    *Comdr.  L.  F.  Kimball. 

Squadron  engineer *Lt.  Conidr.  F.  R.  Berg. 

Squadron  engineer  from  i  October, 

1918    *Lieut.  G.  J.  Blessing. 

Flag  lieutenant  and  secretary Lt.  Comdr.  E.  S.  R.  Brandt. 

Aid  and  secretary  after  2;^  August, 

1918    Ensign  Roger  F.  Hooper,  R.  F. 

Squadron   radio   officer,  also   signal 

officer  after  2;^  August,  1918.  . . .    Lieut.  R.  C.  Starkey. 

Communication  officer  and  aid Lt.  (j.  g.)  R.  L.  White,  R.  F. 

Squadron  surgeon  *Lt.  Comdr.  G.  C.  Riioades  (M.  C ). 

Squadron  surgeon   from  i   October, 

1918    -Lieut.  H.  P.  Stevens  (^L  C),  R.  F. 

Squadron  supply  officer *Lieut.  C.  R.  Eagle  (P.  C). 

Squadron  athletic  officer *Lt.  Comdr.  G.  W.  Hewlett. 

Assistant  squadron  construction  offi- 
cer   *Lieut.  G.  R.  Arey  (C.  C). 

San  Francisco   (flagship) — Captain  H.  V.  Butler,  U.  S.  N. 

Launched  at  Union  Iron  Works,  San  Francisco,  October  26,  1889,  as 
a  protected  cruiser;  commissioned  as  a  mine  ship  August  21,  191 1; 
length  324  feet,  beam  49  feet,  extreme  draft  24  feet,  full  load  displace- 
ment 4583  tons;  twin  screw,  18  knots;  four  5-inch  51-caliber  guns,  two 
3-inch  anti-aircraft  guns,  170  mines;  officers  22,  crew  350;  additional 
for  flagship,  officers  5,  enlisted  men  47 ;  total  on  board  424. 

Baltimore — Captain  A.  W.  Marshall,  U.  S.  N. 

Launched  at  Cramp's  Shipyard,  Philadelphia,  October  26,  1888,  as  a 
protected  cruiser;  commissioned  as  a  mine  ship  March  8,  1915;  length 

*  Additional  to  ship  duties. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  47 

335  feet,  beam  48^^  feet,  extreme  draft  24  feet,  5482  tons;  twin  screw, 
18  knots;  four  5-inch  51-caliber  guns,  two  3-inch  anti-aircraft  guns,  180 
mines;  ofificers  21,  crew  339;  total  360. 
Roanoke — Captain  C.  D.  Stearns,  U.  S.  N. 

Launched  August  30,  191 1,  named  El  Dia;  commissioned  as  a  mine- 
layer January  25,  1918,  at  Tietjcn  and  Lang's  Shipyard,  Hoboken,  N.  J. 
Housatonic — Captain  J.  W.  Greenslade,  U.  S.  N. 

Launched  November  14,  1899,  named  El  Rio;  commissioned  January 
25,  1918,  at  Tietjen  and  Lang's. 
Canandaigua — Captain  W.  H.  Reynolds,  U.  S.  N. 

Launched  in  May,   1901,  named  El  Siglo;  commissioned  March  2, 
1918,  at  the  Morse  Dry  Dock  and  Repair  Company,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Canonicus — Captain  T.  L.  Johnson,  U.  S.  N. 

Launched  November  14,  1899,  named  El  Cid;  commissioned  March  2, 
1918,  at  the  Morse  Yard. 

All  four  preceding  were  built  at  the  Newport  News  Ship  and  Engine 
Building  Company,  Newport  News,  Va.,  as  freight  liners  for  the 
Southern  Pacific  Steamship  Company  (Morgan  Line).  Length  405  feet, 
beam  48  feet,  draft  20  feet,  displacement  7000  tons;  single  screw,  15 
knots;  one  5-inch  51-caliber  gun  aft,  two  3-inch  anti-aircraft  guns 
forward ;  830  mines  normally,  900  maximum,  carried  on  three  decks ; 
officers  21,  crew  400;  total  421. 
Quiniicbaug — Commander  D.  Pratt  Mannix,  U.  S.  N. 

Launched  October  14,  1898,  named  Jefferson;  commissioned  as  mine- 
layer  March  23,    1918,   at   Robins'   Dry  Dock  and   Repair   Company, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Saranac — Captain  Sinclair  Gannon,  U.  S.  N. 

Launched  in  1899,  named  Hamilton;  commissioned  April  9,  1918,  at 
James  Shewan  &  Sons,  Inc.,  Brooklyn. 

Both  were  built  by  John  Roach  &  Sons,  Chester,  Pa.,  as  coast-wise 
passenger  and  freight  liners  for  the  Old  Dominion  Steamship  Com- 
pany; length  375  feet,  beam  42  feet,  draft  18^  feet,  displacement  5150 
tons;  single  screw,  16  knots;  one  5-inch  51-caliber  gun  aft,  two  3-inch 
anti-aircraft  guns  forward;  mines  612  normally,  642  maximum,  carried 
on  two  decks ;  officers  18,  crew  392 ;  total  410. 
Shawnmt — Captain  W.  T.  Cluverius,  U.  S.  N. 
Aroostook — Captain  J.  Harvey  Tomb,  U.  S.  N. 

Both  vessels  were  launched  in  1907  at  Cramp's  Shipyard,  Philadelphia, 
named  Massachusetts  and  Bunker  Hill  respectively;  commissioned  as 
minelayers  at  Navy  Yard,  Boston,  Mass.,  December  7,  1917 ;  length  387 
feet,  beam  52  feet,  draft  17^  feet,  displacement  3800  tons;  twin  screw, 
oil  fuel,  20  knots;  one  5-inch  51-caliber  and  one  3-inch  anti-aircraft 
gun  on  the  middle  line  aft,  one  3-inch  anti-aircraft  gun  forward;  320 
mines  normally,  352  maximum,  all  carried  on  one  deck;  officers  20,  crew 
346 ;  total  366. 


48  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

Totals  of  Squadron: 

Tonnage,  54,000  tons. 
Mines,  normal  5530,  maximum  5834. 
Officers  208,  men  3839;  total  4047. 

In  addition,  four  sea-going  tugs  belonged  to  the  squadron,  as  de- 
scribed in  Chapter  22. 


The  Yankee  ^Mixing  Squadrox  49 


CHAPTER  NINE 

Athletics 

A  shortage  of  some  mine  parts  that  had  encountered  (hfficuUy 
in  manufacture  now  delayed  the  prej^aration  for  a  second  excur- 
sion, and  the  respite  came  opportunely,  for  we  had  l)een  driving 
hard  for  some  time. 

Though  the  minelayers  were  comfortable  enough  to  live  in 
when  empt}-,  it  was  quite  dififerent  with  mines  on  board.  Then 
only  a  few  of  the  men  could  swing  their  hammocks,  the  others 
having  to  lie  on  the  decks.  Crowding  the  mess  tables  together, 
horns  and  sharp  corners  ever  ready  to  tear  the  clothes,  mines 
were  constantly  at  one's  elbow,  and  everywhere  were  mine  tracks, 
half-knee  high,  or  turntables,  to  trip  the  unwary  or  bark  his 
shin.  No  smoking  was  allowed  below  decks,  and  the  space  above 
decks  was  very  limited  for  crews  so  numerous.  The  men  made 
no  complaint — such  men  will  not  complain  of  discomfort  which 
seems  temporary  and  unavoidable,  when  incident  to  an  under- 
taking that  interests  them — but  since  the  discomfort  could  not 
be  alleviated  but.  on  the  contrary,  would  increase  with  the  fre- 
quencv  of  excursions  and  with  inclement  weather,  sufficient  diver- 
sion was  imperative  to  maintain  the  fine,  cheerful  spirit  which  had 
characterized  the  work  so  far. 

Let  the  report  on  squadron  athletics,  written  at  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember by  Ensign  Walter  P.  Hanson,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  editor  of  our 
Athletic  Bulletin,  tell  what  Avas  done,  in  true  sporting  page  style: 

The  situation  was  new,  practically  unparallelled,  and  called  for  immediate 
action.  With  the  exception  of  the  San  Francisco  and  Balt'unore,  none  of 
the  ships  had  the  traditional  atmosphere  of  a  man-of-war,  so  essential  to 
the  building  up  of  esprit  de  corps.  It  was  a  new  squadron,  manned  largely 
by  new  men,  performing  a  new  operation  in  strange  waters.  Something 
was  needed  to  weld  this  war-sprouted  organization  into  a  solid,  indissoluble 
unit,  to  build  up  ship  spirit  and  a  high  squadron  spirit,  recalling  old  tradi- 
tions and  laying  the  foundation  for  new  ones,  to  fire  the  men's  enthusiasm 
to  a  pitcli  that  would  insure  the  success  of  the  gigantic  operation  in  hand 
and  spell  defeat  for  the  German  submarine  forces. 

There  were  other  just  as  important  reasons  why  an  atliletic  organization 
was  necessary.  Minelaying  in  contested  waters  is  not  the  easiest  nor  the 
least  dangerous  of  duties.     To  eat,  sleep  and  work  in  close  proximity  to 


50  The  Yankee  ]\Iixixg  Squadron 

tons  of  the  deadliest  explosive  known,  and  then  to  cruise  day  and  night  in 
submarine  infested  waters  with  this  same  explosive  for  cargo — knowing 
that  one  well-aimed  torpedo,  a  well-placed  mine,  or  a  few  enemy  shells, 
would  wipe  out  an  entire  ship's  company,  and  possibly  the  whole  squadron — 
i;  not  exactly  the  sort  of  recreation  a  worn-out  business  man  would  seek  as 
a  cure  for  "nerves."  And  blue-jackets,  despite  a  common  fallacy  in  Amer- 
ica, are  no  more  than  human.  Numerous  mining  excursions,  with  no  inter- 
vening periods  of  recreation,  were  bound  to  tell  on  the  men. 

Relaxation  and  amusement  they  would  get  in  one  form  or  another. 
Where  were  they  to  turn  for  it?  To  the  theaters  and  amusement  centers 
of  two  Scotch,  war-stricken  villages?  They  were  almost  a  myth  and 
couldn't  hold  a  man-sized  blue-jacket's  attention  for  half  an  hour  a  week. 
What  then — the  Y.  AI.  C.  A.?  Yes,  to  some  extent,  but  even  those  faithful 
workers  couldn't  solve  the  problem.  Active  amusement  the  men  wanted, 
excitement,  thrills,  an3'thing  to  take  their  minds  off  their  work  for  a  few 
hours  several  times  a  week  when  they  went  ashore. 

Obviously  there  was  but  one  answer  to  the  question  and  that  was  the 
healthful  recreation  of  organized,  competitive  athletics.  Athletics  of  all 
sorts  and  forms,  teams  organized  on  each  ship,  and  an  officially  recognized 
and  governed  organization  to  direct  the  activities  of  the  entire  squadron. 
Spirited  competition  and  clean  sportsmanship  was  to  be  the  keynote  of 
the  movement,  with  one  directing  head,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Squadron  Commander. 

The  official  "  season  "  was  formally  opened  on  July  4,  at  both  bases,  with 
eight  teams  com.peting.  The  initial  success  was  most  gratifying.  The 
spirit  shown  by  the  townspeople  gave  the  day  all  the  ear-marks  of  a  regular 
league  opening  in  the  states.  The  games  were  closely  contested  and  the 
players,  cheered  on  by  the  rooting  of  hundreds  of  lo3'al  "  fans,"  displayed 
an  excellent  brand  of  ball.  Business  houses  had  declared  a  holiday  in 
honor  of  our  Independence  Day  and  apparently  the  natives  decided  to 
attend  the  festivities  in  a  body,  for  at  Inverness  more  than  three  thousand 
of  them  were  present,  eagerly  attempting  to  learn  the  intricacies  of  the 
game. 

From  then  on,  the  success  of  athletics  in  the  squadron  was  assured. 
When  the  ships  were  in  port  and  the  weather  permitted,  not  a  day  passed 
without  one  or  more  games  pla3'^ed.  Each  team  was  loyally  supported  by 
its  own  ship's  company,  even  the  officers  forgetting  their  dignity  long 
enough  to  root  long  and  loudly.  In  these  demonstrations  the  men  were 
moderate,  considerate  of  the  neighbors,  realizing  that  local  custom  did  not 
favor  such  noise,  though  indulged  now  with  perfect  good  humor,  since  we 
appeared  to  need  it. 

Athletic  activities  were  not  confined  to  baseball.  Boat-racing,  track, 
tug-of-war  teams,  boxing  and  wrestling,  were  all  taken  up  and  encouraged. 
On  July  4,  the  entire  morning  was  given  over  to  boat  racing.  Excellent 
time  was  made  over  the  mile  course  and  good  seamanlike  qualities  were 
displayed.  The  afternoon  track  events  developed  into  a  spirited  contest, 
in  which  the  marks  made  would  have  done  justice  to  any  first-class  Ameri- 
can university.    Again  on  Labor  Day  a  similar  athletic  meet  was  arranged 


D] 


52  The  Yankee  IMixixg  Squadron 

and  once  more  the  same  measure  of  success  was  attained,  thousands  of 
townspeople  in  attendance. 

Boxing  and  wrestling  were  taken  up  by  the  individual  ships  and,  gener- 
ally speaking,  one  evening  each  week  was  given  over  to  "  happy  hours,"  for 
bouts  in  the  ring  and  on  the  mat.  Ambitious  youngsters  w^ould  send  forth 
bristling  challenges,  which  were  immediately  snapped  up  by  rivals  in  other 
ships  and  the  resulting  encounter  was  the  equivalent — seldom  bloodless — 
of  a  naval  engagement  in  building  up  esprit  de  corps. 

Excellent  golf  courses  and  tennis  courts  lay  convenient  to  both  bases, 
and  many  a  day  the  Squadron  Commander  returned  from  the  Nigg  links 
with  i8  officers  crowding  the  barge.  The  squadron  surgeon,  Dr.  Rhoades, 
secured  man}'  recruits  for  the  ancient  and  honorable  game,  with  the  result 
that  upward  of  50  officers  out  of  200  entered  the  tournament  played  in 
September. 

From  the  start  the  good  effect  on  the  men  was  noticeable.  A  consistently 
winning  baseball  team  made  that  ship's  company  the  envy  of  all  others,  and 
fostered  a  spirit  that  could  not  confine  itself  to  athletics  alone  but  was 
injected  into  drills,  mining  excursions  and  all  forms  of  ship's  work.  In- 
deed, it  would  not  be  overshooting  the  mark  to  state  that  the  success  of  the 
operation  as  a  whole  was  due  in  large  part  to  the  spirit  of  enthusiasm 
aroused  among  the  men  by  organized  competitive  athletics. 

The  men  and  officers  were  benefited  from  a  mental  and  moral,  as  well  as 
physical,  standpoint.  They  had  something  really  interesting  to  go  to  see 
on  shore  and  to  talk  about  on  returning  aboard.  Their  minds  were 
taken  absolutel}'  away  from  war  while  the  games  were  in  progress,  their 
nerves  relaxed  and  the  tension  removed.  Their  activities  were  directed 
into  healthful  channels,  whereas,  thrown  upon  their  own  resources,  they 
might  have  sought  amusement  in  some  harmful  form. 

Not  only  did  athletics  benefit  the  men,  it  also  played  its  part  from  an 
international  aspect,  especially  baseball.  Essentially  an  American  sport,  it 
typifies  everything  American — rapid  thinking,  quickness  of  action,  and 
purely  American  individualism,  coupled  with  the  keenest  alertness  in  team- 
work. These  traits  the  British  admire  in  the  "  Yanks."  At  any  of  our 
baseball  games,  hundreds  of  British  soldiers  and  sailors  could  always  be 
seen,  wearing  broad  grins  of  appreciation  and  admiration  of  the  cleverness 
of  their  comrades  in  arms.  So  much  were  they  taken  up  with  the  sport 
that  on  some  British  ships  they  began  to  organize  baseball  teams,  with  the 
hope  in  the  near  future  to  compete  with  their  American  cousins.  And  the 
small  boys  in  the  towns  were  quick  to  take  up  playing  ball  with  a  stick 
and  an  old  string  ball.  All  this  helped  in  creating  a  spirit  of  cooperation 
and  good  feeling  between  the  Britisli  and  the  Americans,  so  important  to 
both  present  and  future  common  aims. 


The  Yankei-:  Mining  Squadron  53 


CHAPTER  TEN 

The  Squadron  Complete 

After  a  conference  with  the  commanding  officers  with  the 
various  incidents  of  the  first  excursion  fresh  in  mind,  revised 
instructions  applying  equally  to  every  excursion  were  drawn  up, 
to  be  supplemented  by  the  particulars  for  each  successive  occasion 
issued  at  the  appropriate  time.  The  term  excursion  met  with 
ready  adoption,  for  its  cheerful  suggestion  of  a  return — weary 
no  doubt,  but  content. 

A  navigation  memorandum  of  the  intended  courses,  speeds, 
and  principal  incidents,  for  the  information  of  the  escort  leader 
and  each  ship,  accompanied  the  excursion  order.  An  excellent 
understanding,  as  well  as  good  feeling,  grew  up  between  the 
squadron  and  its  escort.  The  escort  commander  would  often  dine 
on  board  the  San  Francisco  and  discuss  the  coming  excursion  and 
the  two  bodies  soon  came  to  move  as  one,  changing  course,  night 
or  day,  or  changing  formation,  frequently  with  only  a  whistle 
blast — a  whole  excursion  sometimes  without  any  tactical  signal  at 
all  between  the  two  bodies,  except  for  some  unforeseen  change  of 
course  or  speed. 

Preparations  had  begun  at  once  for  the  second  excursion  to 
continue  the  first  minefield,  but  change  had  become  necessary,  and 
a  line  across  Area  C  was  ordered — not,  however,  until  Roanoke 
had  been  loaded  with  830  mines  of  an  adjustment  not  suited  to  the 
changed  plan,  and  these  remained  on  board  33  days,  the  crew 
living  around,  but  keeping  up  cleanliness  and  order  the  same  as 
usual.  So  long  a  period  fully  loaded  had  not  been  contemplated, 
but  it  showed  one  more  thing  these  vessels  could  do  when  well 
manned  and  commanded. 

As  before,  assembly  was  at  night  30  June,  and  Udsire  the  point 
of  final  departure.  The  supporting  force  was  the  6th  Battle 
Squadron  of  five  American  battleships  under  Rear  Admiral 
Hugh  Rodman,  U.  S.  N.  Needless  to  say,  every  one  came  on 
deck  to  see  our  handsome  battle  squadron,  as  it  filed  out  past 
Pentland  Skerries  and  formed  lin^^j  disappearing  to  the  south- 


54  The  Yankee  ^Mining  Squadron 

eastward.  Twice  during  the  afternoon  submarine  periscopes  were 
seen  by  the  battleships  and  their  destroyer  screen,  which  opened 
fire  and  dropped  depth  bombs,  but  without  known  effect. 

Considerable  current  was  found  near  the  Norwegian  coast,  but 
visibility  was  good  until  we  passed  to  the  northward  of  Udsire ; 
then  it  became  increasingly  hazy.  The  run  of  the  flagship,  guid- 
ing, was  accurately  determined  notwithstanding,  by  other  marks 
to  the  northward  before  they  too  became  indistinct.  At  4.26  a.  m., 
minelaying  began — great  care  taken  not  to  lay  any  mines  inside 
Norwegian  waters,  yet  to  begin  just  outside  them.  Despite  the 
unexpected  strong  current  at  the  critical  moment,  the  first  mines 
were  dropped  within  250  yards  of  the  intended  spot,  just  outside 
the  three-mile  limit. 

Overcast  sky  prevented  obtaining  good  observations  to  check 
the  run  during  the  minelaying,  and  as  there  was  no  check  on 
latitude  and  the  current  was  variable,  the  course  was  changed 
slightly  for  the  last  third  of  the  run,  to  be  sure  of  clearing  our 
first  field,  towards  which  we  were  heading.  This  accounts  for  the 
bend  in  that  line  on  the  chart.  We  were  crossing  the  150-fathom 
deep  water  which  skirts  the  Norway  coast,  three  large  ships, 
Canonicus,  Canandaigua,  and  Housatonic,  led  by  San  Francisco, 
laying  2200  mines  in  two  rows  on  a  line  46  miles  long.  In  spite 
of  repeated  breaking  of  the  distance-measuring  taut  ware,  the 
speed  over  ground  was  estimated  closely  enough  to  end  the  line 
within  one-half  mile  of  the  point  intended,  which  was  correct 
within  I  per  cent. 

There  were  again  no  casualties  and  all  the  mines  were  planted. 
Two  ships  planted  710  each  in  continuous  strings,  fully  establish- 
ing the  success  of  the  mining  installations.  There  was  no  longer 
any  doubt  of  the  ability  of  one  of  these  ships  to  plant  her  entire 
load  of  860  mines  without  break.  All  vessels  returned  to  base 
ready  for  further  duty. 

The  explosions  of  defective  mines  on  this  excursion  amounted 
to  between  4  and  5  per  cent,  and  reports  received  from  British 
trawlers  watching  the  first  minefield  indicated  that  enough  more 
had  gone  off  in  that  field  since  the  first  day,  to  bring  the  total 
there  up  to  between  5  and  6  per  cent.  Despite  all  remedy,  these 
explosions  increased  in  number  up  to  the  5th  excursion.  Then 
the  cause  was  found  to  be  due  not  to  unskilful,  negligent,  or  other- 
wise faulty  procedure  in  either  the  ships  or  the  bases,  but  to  lie 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  53 

parti}'  in  supersensitivcncss  in  the  mines"  adjustment,  partly  in 
imperfection  in  manufacture — inevitable  in  such  lar,<j;e  numbers 
made  under  prevailing  industrial  conditions,  especially  of  a  new 
design. 

On  June  29,  just  before  departure  on  the  second  excursion,  the 
minelayers  Shazvmttt,  Captain  W.  T.  Cluverius,  Aroostook,  Com- 
mander J.  H.  Tomb,  and  Saranac,  Commander  Sinclair  Gannon, 
and  the  repair  ship  Black  Hawk,  Captain  R.  C.  Buhner,  had 
arrived  from  the  United  States.  Uncompleted  work  had  not 
delayed  them  like  the  others,  but  the  trial  runs  of  the  Sliaivmut 
and  Aroostook  showed  their  fuel  consumption  to  be  much  larger 
than  had  been  estimated — no  data  having  been  available  when  their 
conversion  was  planned — making  their  fuel  capacity  insufficient 
for  the  passage  over.  Indefinite  delay,  until  a  tanker  could 
accompany  them,  was  averted  by  the  captains  hunting  up  enough 
oil  hose  to  fuel  the  ships  at  sea.  Their  departure  on  June  16 
took  place  during  the  German  submarines'  activity  on  the  New 
England  coast — not  a  favorable  condition  for  ships  just  out  of  a 
navy  yard.  Twice  during  the  crossing,  the  Black  Hawk  took  the 
Shawmut  and  Aroostook  in  tow,  to  give  them  fuel  oil.  Though 
a  new  operation  to  all  hands — likewise  new  ships,  new  crews,  half 
a  gale  of  wind,  and  oil  hose  twice  as  heavy  as  proper — it  was 
done  well,  without  mishap,  and  all  four  arrived  at  our  bases  ready 
for  service. 

The  third  excursion  could  therefore  be  made  by  the  full  squad- 
ron of  ten.  It  was  to  continue  the  first  minefield,  and  as  some  of 
our  mark  buoys  were  known  to  have  broken  adrift — we  had 
passed  two  on  the  second  excursion — the  flagship's  navigator, 
Lieut.  Commander  Cunningham,  was  sent  out  in  the  squadron  tugs 
Patuxent  and  Patapsco,  to  verify  what  might  remain  of  the  buoy- 
field.  Finding  half  the  buoys  in  place,  he  planted  two  new  ones  as 
a  precaution.  Then  he  passed  along  both  our  minefields,  listening 
for  further  explosions,  but  heard  none.  The  necessary  improve- 
ment in  the  buoy  moorings  was  now  made,  so  effectively  that  they 
could  be  counted  on  thereafter.  Each  ship  carried  four  buoys 
on  her  quarters,  ready  to  drop  on  the  instant.  One  stroke  of  an 
axe,  or  pull  on  a  slip  would  release  a  buoy  and  its  looo-lb.  sinker 
together,  the  mooring  wire  cable  being  so  looped  up  around  the 
buoy  as  to  pay  out  clear.  Thus  the  ship  had  no  need  to  reduce 
speed  nor  any  fear  of  getting  her  screw  foul  of  the  buoy. 


56  The  Yankee  ^Mining  Squadron 

Embarking"  mines  for  the  third  excursion  had  already  begun 
when  a  message  came  that  no  mines  were  to  be  placed  west  of 
zero  longitude  for  the  present,  a  restriction  that  shortened  the 
intended  line  by  30  miles,  quite  upsetting  the  embarking  arrange- 
ments then  in  progress. 

Meantime,  the  original  plan  had,  in  London,  undergone  con- 
siderable modification  as  to  the  constitution  of  the  barrage.  Origi- 
nally of  three  systems,  each  comprising  three  lines  of  mines — 
upper,  middle,  and  lower  levels- — the  necessity  which  had  developed 
for  wider  spacing  between  mines,  to  avoid  structural  damage  to 
neighboring  mines  when  one  was  detonated — 300  feet  instead 
of  150,  as  originally  planned — made  it  seem  desirable  to  increase 
the  number  of  lines  of  mines,  so  as  to  maintain  the  same  density  of 
the  mine  barrage  as  a  whole.  The  revision  aimed  to  increase  the 
risk  to  surface  passage  considerably.  No  effective  patrol  being 
maintained  along  the  barrage,  submarines  would  naturally  prefer 
the  surface.  The  revised  plan,  in  brief,  made  10  upper  level  rows 
instead  of  3,  and  4  middle  and  4  lower  level,  instead  of  3  each, 
or  a  total  of  18  rows  instead  of  9. 

Rather  than  shorten  our  line  and  again  employ  only  part  of 
the  squadron,  the  Commander  of  the  Mine  Force  took  up  the 
revised  scheme  at  once,  ordering  5400  mines  prepared,  for  a  field 
of  5  parallel  lines  54  miles  long.  All  10  ships  were  loaded  nearly 
to  full  rapacity,  Honsafouic  taking  840  mines.  Departure  was 
taken  at  2  p.  m.,  Sunday  14  July,  hauling  down,  as  we  got  under- 
way, the  dress  bunting  which  had  been  hoisted  in  honor  of  the 
French  Bastille  Day. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadkon 


CHAPTER  ELEVEN 
Tactics 

Ten  shi])s  laden  with  hii^h  ex])losive,  navi,L;alin^-  in  mine-swept 
channels,  in  submarine  thoroughfares,  and  near  minefields  beyond 
si.^ht  of  fixed  marks — compactness  of  the  minefield  demanding 
that  the  layers  steam  as  near  together  as  safe — necessity  for  keep- 
ing together  in  fog,  darkness,  or  submarine  attack — these  were 
the  conditions  governing  our  tactics. 

Thus,  the  mining  excursions  were  not  merely  arduous  in  prepa- 
ration and  execution.  Precision  and  quickness  of  action  while  at 
sea  were  imperative,  from  start  to  finish.  To  foster  these,  a  steady 
tension  was  kept  up  throughout  the  squadron,  a  tension  wdiich 
likewise  helped  the  individual  ships  to  maintain  a  careful  habit 
among  the  men,  without  making  them  jumpy  or  fearful.  To 
sustain  attention  and  prevent  over-confidence  growing  w'ith  famil- 
iarity, unremitting  pains  were  exercised  to  note  and  correct  any 
irregularity  or  apparent  slackness — not  to  find  fault  but  to  keep 
things  taut  everywhere.  Only  in  this  way  could  compliance  with 
all  details  be  insured — so  very  important  in  our  work. 

From  assembly  at  the  buoy  until  the  return  to  it  after  the 
excursion,  the  Sail  Francisco,  leading  the  squadron,  would  main- 
tain a  steady  pace,  sometimes  increasing  to  make  up  for  adverse 
current,  but  rarely  slackening  speed  for  anything.  The  squadron's 
position  was  frequently  compared  with  the  time  schedule,  and  no 
effort  was  spared  to  carry  through  the  excursion  with  preci- 
sion. There  was  time  enough,  we  had  speed  enough,  but  none 
too  much  of  either,  and  the  whole  body  felt  a  constant  urge 
towards  a  direct  and  clean-cut  movement  out  to  the  field,  over  it, 
and  back  to  the  base. 

Stretched  in  two  mile-long  columns  while  in  mine-searched 
waters,  which  were  comparatively  narrow,  the  formation  would 
widen  and  shorten  upon  reaching  the  50-fathom  line,  so  as  to 
diminish  the  depth  of  the  target  offered  to  a  submarine.  Ap- 
proaching the  mine  start  point,  the  vessels  would  take  the  relative 
positions  which  they  would  occupy  wdien  the  mining  was  begun — 
not  too  soon,  because  such  a  formation  was  unwieldy,  and  if 


58  The  Yankee  ^Mining  Squadrox 

maneuvering  into  position  involved  much  turning",  the  formation 
would  become  disordered.  The  10  vessels  were  of  5  different 
types,  with  different  handling  qualities  and  having  very  small 
speed  reserve  with  which  to  regain  lost  position.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  change  had  to  be  made  early  enough  for  all  vessels  to 
get  settled  in  station,  at  standard  speed,  before  the  minelaying 
began. 

As  the  planting  progressed,  we  had  to  make  use  of  large,  lighted, 
navigation  buoys,  planted  in  the  open  sea,  obviously  for  our  use. 
The  British  had  warned  us,  from  their  own  experience,  of  the 
enemy's  habit  of  moving  all  such  buoys  whenever  seen,  or  plant- 
ing mines  near  them — sometimes  doing  both.  Working  far  away 
from  the  nearest  landmark,  we  would  pass  close  to  these  buoys 
in  order  to  determine  the  position  of  the  mine  start  point  accu- 
rately. Against  enemy  mines  which  might  be  around  the  buoys, 
our  paravanes  were  counted  upon  for  protection,  but  here  came 
in  a  complication.  While  paravanes  would  protect  against  ordi- 
nary mines,  they  actually  increased  the  risk  from  any  of  our  own 
mines  which  they  might  touch.  To  keep  the  paravanes  out  until 
after  clearing  the  buoy,  then  take  them  in  before  approaching  one 
of  our  fields,  would  have  been  simple  enough,  but  for  the  neces- 
sity of  maintaining  steady  speed  and  course  from  the  buoy  to  the 
mining  start  point,  which  precluded  slowing  down  to  take  the 
paravanes  in.  Since  the  risk  could  be  measured  from  our  own 
mines  but  not  from  the  enemy's,  the  paravanes  were  always 
kept  in  use. 

Pressure  of  time  and  division  of  the  ships  between  two  bases 
while  in  port  limited  the  tactical  training  of  the  squadron  to  what 
could  be  done  while  crossing  the  Atlantic  and  while  going  to  and 
from  the  minefields.  The  special  equipment  to  facilitate  accurate 
station  keeping  which  is  usually  found  in  men-of-war  was  lacking 
in  these  ex-merchant  vessels.  They  had  comparatively  small 
rudders,  and  the  nice  regulation  of  steam  to  the  engines,  necessary 
for  steady  steaming  in  company,  was  very  difficult  with  their 
deficient  means  for  that  purpose.  Moreover,  on  the  first  excursion 
by  the  complete  sf[uadron  of  10  vessels,  4  of  them  took  part  for 
the  first  time.  The  excellent  performance  of  the  squadron  as  a 
whole  was  all  the  more  rcmarkal)le. 

Passing  through  the  mark  l)Uo\s,  which  the  sloop  H.  M.  S. 
Lahnrnum  pointed  out.  the  squadron,  formed  in  three  lines  abreast, 


The  Yankkk  Mining  Squadron  59 

stood  on  beyond,  to  allow  distance  in  which  to  steady  down  on 
the  reverse  course,  then  turned  ships  90  degrees  right  together,  by 
divisions  in  succession.  This  evolution  formed  the  squadron  in  a 
single  column  which  steered  about  SSW,  until  within  two  miles 
of  the  previous  mineiield.  Two  of  the  10  vessels  were  on  the 
right  flank,  so  that  a  second,  simultaneous  turn,  ships  right, 
brought  the  squadron  into  the  planting  formation,  consisting  of  a 
line  of  8  ships  abreast,  stretching  a  mile  and  three-quarters,  the 
remaining  two  in  an  advance  line,  500  yards  ahead,  with  three 


The  Squadron  in  Minelaying  Formation. 
Two  Ships  of  British  Minelaying  Squadron  in  the  Left  Background. 

miles  still  to  go,  allowing  15  minutes  time  in  which  to  settle 
down,  before  the  order  to  begin  planting.  The  execution  of  the 
operation  was  seamanlike  to  a  degree,  and  the  alignment,  dis- 
tance keeping,  and  handling  of  the  vessels,  in  approaching  and  on 
the  planting  line,  were  excellent  throughout. 

It  would  have  widened  the  field  unnecessarily  to  dispose  all  10 
ships  abreast.  The  advanced  ships  would  ease  back  into  the  main 
line  as  soon  as  two  of  the  8  ships  directly  astern  had  finished  their 
minelaying  and  speeded  ahead,  leaving  vacancies.  Ample  time 
was  allowed  to  do  this  slowly,  before  their  time  came  to  plant, 
so  as  to  avoid  the  extra  demand  on  their  engines  which  might 
be  caused  by  dropping  back  too  fast.  The  ships  were  neither  new 
nor  decrepit,  but  there  was  no  excuse   for  taking  unnecessary 


6o  The  Yankee  Mixing  Squadron 

chances  of  spoiling  a  good  performance  by  ihe  squadron  as  a 
whole.  Steady  steaming  and  steering  were  important  for  safety — 
as  well  as  for  regularity  of  the  mine-spacing.  God  help  a  ship 
whose  engine  broke  down  or  rudder  jammed  during  the  mine- 
laying!  With  a  strong  head  wind,  she  would  drift  into  the  mine- 
field, before  even  a  destroyer  could  tow  her  clear.  It  was  partly 
for  such  an  emergency  that  the  sweepers  originally  included  with 
our  force  were  wanted — powerful,  handy,  seagoing  tugs,  able  to 
assist  in  any  circumstances.  The  tugs  that  we  had  were  not  fast 
enough  to  keep  up  with  the  squadron.  Fortunately,  engine  or 
steering  disablement  never  occurred  during  planting,  but  two  did 
occur  just  afterward,  and  once,  in  Fair  Island  Channel,  on  the 
way  to  plant,  a  ship  had  to  stop  for  a  disabled  feed  pump.  It  was 
1 1  o'clock  at  night,  pitch  dark,  with  the  tide  turning  strong  towards 
the  9th  minefield,  and  in  tkic  submarines'  thoroughfare.  As  I 
slowed  the  squadron  and  waited  for  report  of  the  probable  length 
of  delay,  I  felt  what  a  reliance  a  good  tender  would  have  been ! 

The  support  force  on  the  third  excursion,  the  4th  Battle  Squad- 
ron, came  close  enough  to  observe  the  minelaying,  steaming  along 
parallel,  four  miles  distant,  for  an  hour.  Its  commander,  in 
H.  M.  S.  Hercules,  was  Vice  Admiral  Sir  Montague  E.  Browning, 
who,  with  the  French  Rear  Admiral  Grasset,  had  come  from 
Bermuda  in  the  earliest  days  of  our  entering  the  war,  to  attend  the 
first  conference  on  our  naval  participation,  and  as  their  flagships, 
H.  M.  S.  Leviathan  and  the  Jeanne  d'Arc,  stood  in  to  Hampton 
Roads,  the  San  Francisco  had  been  the  vessel  to  salute  their  flags. 
Now,  in  the  same  ship,  it  was  a  pleasure  to  lead  a  large,  new  mine 
squadron,  performing  so  creditably  before  such  an  observer,  the 
more  so  as  Admiral  Browning  had  sent  a  special  message  of 
welcome  upon  our  arrival  from  America. 

After  this  excursion  was  over  and  all  the  reports  were  in  from 
the  several  ships,  showing  that  all  mines  had  been  planted,  with 
no  mishaps  of  any  kind,  and  that  the  vessels  were  ready  to  under- 
take another  excursion,  the  following  signal  was  sent : 

The  squadron  commander  extends  sincere  congratulations  upon  the  com- 
pletion of  to-day's  mining  operation  by  the  wliole  squadron.  It  was  a 
handsome  performance  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a  squadron  of  long 
experience.  The  squadron  commander,  the  captains,  the  officers,  and  every 
man  may  rightly  feel  deep  pride  in  having  earned  a  success  worthy  of  our 
navy's  best  traditions.     7.45  p.  m.,  15  July,  1918. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  6i 


CHAPTER  TWELVE 
Some  Incidents 

By  consensus  of  opinion,  the  limit  of  safe  approach  to  a  mine- 
field in  the  open  sea  was  five  miles.  Where  apprecialjle  current 
exists,  a  heavy  sea  may  cause  mines  to  step  aloni;",  or  "  mi.iL;rate  " — 
there  is  no  telling"  how  far — and  the  danger  from  mines  adrift  is 
naturally  greater  near  a  minefield  than  elsewhere.  Mines  are 
desig'ned  to  become  safe  on  breaking  adrift  and  many  of  them  are, 
but  far  from  all.  Submergence  in  salt  water  may  derang'e  the 
mechanism  for  that  safety  j)urpose.  There  was  very  little  current 
across  Area  A.  however,  and  the  fine  tactical  qualities  shown  by 
the  squadron  lent  confidence  that  it  could  be  safely  conducted  much 
nearer  to  our  minefields  than  five  miles.  Since  the  barrage  plan 
had  been  revised,  this  closer  approach  had  become  necessary,  if 
we  were  to  get  the  whole  barrage  in  between  the  southernmost 
line,  already  laid,  and  the  northern  limit,  which  had  been  publicly 
proclaimed.  There  was  some  aversion  to  proclaiming  a  new  limit 
and  we  had  no  mind  to  say  it  was  necessary.  So,  instead  of 
lapping  the  ends  of  adjacent  minefields,  the  practice  was  adopted 
of  "butting"  the  new  field  close  to  the  end  of  its  neighbor,  thus 
continuing  the  same  line  with  only  a  small  gap  between  adjacent 
ends. 

Our  first  news  of  damage  inflicted  on  the  enemy  came  in  mid- 
July,  soon  after  the  second  excursion,  though  the  barrier  was  then 
hardly  more  than  begun.  The  information  was  authentic  but  not 
very  circumstantial — the  standing  policy  was  against  that.  Four 
submarines  were  mentioned.  One  of  them  lost  nearly  all  her  fuel 
and  called  by  wireless  for  help,  so  loudly  that  it  was  overheard  and 
a  British  force  was  sent  out  to  capture  or  destroy  her — but  too 
late.  Another  German  submarine  had  come  to  her  aid,  and  the  two 
got  safely  back.    Further  details  are  lacking. 

The  third  excursion,  together  with  the  British  minefields  in 
Area  C,  completed  the  equivalent  of  one  system,  extending  from 
the  Norway  coast  as  far  west  as  o  degrees  longitude.  The  prohibi- 
tion against  laying  any  mines  farther  westward  than  that  was 
still  in  force— although  the  enemy  submarines  had  changed  their 


62  The  Yankee  jMining  Squadron 

route  so  as  to  pass  clear  to  the  westward  of  the  partial  barrier. 
So  our  fourth  excursion  began  a  second  "  system/'  parallel  to  and 
five  miles  distant  from  the  first. 

Leaving  the  bases  during  the  night  of  28  July,  and  taking  final 
departure  from  Buoy  No.  2,  which  marked  the  north  end  of  the 
division  between  Areas  A  and  C,  we  ran  south,  clearing  the  ends 
of  three  British  deep  minefields  by  three  miles — quite  safe  to  do 
if  they  were  all  in  their  intended  places.  Then,  by  an  "  isodromic  " 
maneuver — not  easy  and  little  favored,  on  account  of  the  preci- 
sion that  is  requisite,  but  necessary  on  this  occasion — our  three 
columns,  with  San  Francisco  making  a  fourth  on  the  left,  formed 
a  single  line  to  the  right,  of  eight  ships,  with  two  more  in  an 
advanced  line,  all  steering  about  WSW.  Being  on  the  outside  of 
the  turn,  the  old  San  Francisco  had  to  spring  from  12  to  i6i  knots 
within  a  few  minutes,  to  gain  her  station  on  the  southern  flank 
in  time,  but  no  parade  ground  evolution  could  have  been  done  more 
smoothly,  and  the  quickness  with  which  all  ships  steadied  into 
accurate  distance  and  bearing  showed  that,  in  future,  the  steady- 
ing interval  could  be  safely  reduced.  Originally  a  half  hour,  it 
was  cut  down  to  75  seconds. 

Commander  Moir,  a  new  escort  leader,  in  H.  ]\I.  S.  ValJialla, 
smiled  slightly  as  he  read  over  the  mining  order  for  the  first  time 
and  I  asked  whether  it  were  about  this  isodromic  movement.  He 
replied.  No ;  he  was  wondering  how  they  could  execute  one  of  the 
intermediate  changes  which  the  order  prescribed  to  be  made  en 
route,  to  sort  the  ships  out  from  the  assembling  order  to  the 
arrangement  which  they  would  be  in  preparatory  to  swinging  into 
minelaying  formation.  It  did  look  mixed  at  first  glance,  there 
was  no  denying,  but  I  said,  "  Watch  them  do  it,  the  Rules  of  the 
Road  will  govern  " — and  when  the  time  came,  I  felt  quite  willing 
for  any  one  to  be  a  witness. 

At  the  end  of  a  minefield,  the  wing  and  the  center  shij^s  simul- 
taneously would  drop  mark  buoys,  250  yards  from  the  last  mines, 
and  again  one  mile  farther  on,  making  in  all  six  buoys  in  two 
lines.  When  we  came  back  after  10  days  or  so,  to  continue  that 
field,  a  destroyer  would  go  well  ahead,  to  sight  and  stand  by  the 
outermost  buoy,  and  the  flagship  would  lead  for  it,  but  not  steer 
towards  the  minefield  side  of  it  until  the  inner  line  of  buoys  had 
been  sighted — those  which  were  only  250  yards  from  the  mines. 
The  outer  buoys  were  regarded  with  suspicion  until  some  of  the 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 


^\S 


64  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

inner  ones  were  seen  to  be  in  place.  It  was  then  deemed  safe  to 
lead  between  the  two  lines  of  buoys,  for  as  long  as  there  were 
any  between  the  ships  and  the  minefield,  ships  would  be  at  least 
250  yards  clear.  Passing"  in  column  midway  between  the  lines 
of  buoys  to  make  the  start,  and  allowing  for  the  simultaneous 
turn  into  line  abreast,  the  squadron  could  begin  mining  by  the 
time  the  outer  buoys  were  passed,  thus  leaving  a  gap  of  but  little 
more  than  a  mile  between  the  mines  in  the  old  field  and  those  in 
its  continuation. 

An  early  care  while  fitting  out  had  been  to  organize  and  train  a 
good  lookout  service.  This  duty  is  a  severe  tax  on  the  men,  and 
when,  time  after  time,  they  see  nothing  suspicious,  they  tend  to 
relax.  Fearing  this,  as  we  had  yet  seen  no  submarines,  barring  an 
alarm  on  the  first  excursion,  a  special  warning  to  lookouts  was 
issued,  which,  fortunately  was  well  supported  on  our  next  trip. 
A  beautiful,  peaceful  evening  ofT  the  Orkneys  was  rudely  inter- 
rupted by  messages  from  three  difl:"erent  sources  within  the  space 
of  a  minute,  reporting  a  submarine  estimated  to  be  a  half -hour 
ahead  of  us,  outbound,  making  for  Fair  Island  Channel.  Taking 
no  chances  on  its  having  innocent  intentions  towards  us,  Captain 
Godfrey  turned  his  flank  destroyers  outward  and  bang!  bang! 
went  four  depth  charges,  and  four  more  on  the  other  side — just 
to  let  the  sub  know  he  might  except  a  hearty  reception.  The 
Aroostook's  siren  then  shrieked  for  "  torpedo  to  starboard !  "  the 
ship  charging  ahead  across  another's  bows,  and  the  Housatonic's 
steering  chain  took  that  occasion  to  break.  Serenity  was  gone,  for 
a  time  at  least,  but  being  in  a  swept  channel,  there  was  small  choice 
for  maneuvering.  All  we  could  do  was  to  shorten  up  our  forma- 
tion before  dark  shut  in  and  trust  to  our  escort  and  a  good 
lookout. 

In  the  event  of  a  submarine  appearing,  our  role  was  to  make  oflf, 
leaving  the  attack  to  the  destroyers  and  being  careful  not  to  harm 
them  by  our  own  fire.  The  escort  was  prepared  to  engage  its  own 
kind,  as  well  as  submarines,  and  even  to  make  a  sacrifice  attack  on 
light  cruisers,  to  assist  our  escape  under  cover  of  a  smoke  screen, 
but  our  moderate  speed — 15  knots  at  best  when  keeping  together — 
and  the  small  number  and  caliber  of  our  guns,  made  us  rather 
helpless  against  an  enemy  cruiser's  long-range,  6-inch  gunfire  and 
high  speed. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  65 

Upon  returning  from  an  Allied  conference  in  Malta  on  mining 
the  Mediterranean,  Kcar  Admiral  Strauss  came  out  with  the  squad- 
ron, on  the  seventh  excursion,  26  August,  hoisting  his  flag  in  the 
San  Francisco.  This  was  the  first  time  our  program  was  inter- 
fered with  by  fog,  which  shut  in  thick  soon  after  assembly. 
Incidentally,  our  tug  Patiixcnt,  going  out  ahead  with  her  sister 
Patapsco  to  observe,  found  herself  in  the  midst  of  a  large  convoy 
from  Norway  that  night  and  had  a  collision,  which  fortunately 
was  not  serious  to  either  vessel. 

After  four  hours'  delay  by  fog,  we  made  our  departure  buoy 
and  steered  for  the  end  of  the  5tli  minefield,  13  miles  distant.  Fog 
shut  in  again  when  we  were  half  way,  but  fortunately  lifted  just 
before  we  should  have  had  to  turn  back,  and  minelaying  began, 
although  the  weather  was  still  far  from  settled.  Twice  during 
the  schedule,  dense  fog  enveloped  us,  but  the  planting  went  on 
without  interruption.  It  was  rather  ghostly  to  hear  and  feel  the 
explosions  of  the  defective  mines,  yet  see  nothing — not  even  the 
neighboring  ship.  Several  times  Admiral  Strauss  expressed 
admiration  for  the  steady  alignment  of  the  formation,  and  upon 
leaving  the  San  Francisco  when  we  had  returned  to  port,  he 
signalled,  "  The  Commander  Mine  Force  congratulates  Mine 
Squadron  One  on  the  seamanlike  manner  in  which  the  seventh 
excursion  was  accomplished  by  all  ships." 

On  this  occasion,  for  the  first  and  only  time,  one  ship  had  to 
drop  out  from  an  excursion,  the  Saranac  having  a  smash  inside 
the  cylinder  of  her  main  circulating  pump  shortly  after  the  squad- 
ron had  assembled.  Temporary  repairs  being  impossible  soon 
enough,  she  returned  to  base.  The  absence  of  her  580  mines  left 
the  7th  minefield  incomplete,  and  to  make  good  the  defect  a 
special  excursion  was  ordered  for  the  Shawmut,  Captain  Clu- 
verius,  and  Aroostook,  Captain  Tomb,  the  two  fast  minelayers. 

Met  off  Cromarty  buoy  at  6  a.  m.,  31  August,  by  Commander 
Lowry  in  H.  ]\I.  S.  Wrestler,  with  three  other  destroyers,  the 
detachment  proceeded,  first  at  15  then  at  17  knots,  by  the  usual 
route  to  the  end  buoys  of  the  seventh  field,  then  close  along  the 
northern  side  of  the  field.  The  Baltimore  had  been  on  that  flank, 
and  after  planting  all  her  mines  had  dropped  a  buoy  and  again, 
at  about  9-mile  intervals,  two  other  buoys,  while  steaming  500 
yards  abeam  of  the  nearest  planting  vessel.  A  fresh  breeze  was 
now  blowing,  making  the  buoys  none  too  easy  to  pick  up.     Fog 


66  The  Yankee  ^Mixing  Squadrox 

had  prevailed  while  the  Baltimore  was  dropping  the  buoys,  making 
uncertainty  as  to  their  position  and  also  as  to  whether  they  were 
there  at  all.  Accordingly,  the  detachment  first  ran  parallel  to  the 
minefield,  from  looo  to  2000  yards  outside  the  line  of  buoys,  so 
as  to  sight  them  all ;  then  it  turned  back  and  began  planting, 
Shazvmiit  first.  The  mines  were  laid  in  one  line  averaging  600 
yards  outside  the  line  of  buoys,  or  about  iioo  yards  from  the 
nearest  line  of  mines,  thus  completing  the  original  field  neatly 
without  wasting  space.  The  mining  installations  of  these  fast 
ships  worked  as  well  at  17  knots  as  they  had  at  12,  and  altogether 
the  excursion  gave  the  two  a  good  try  out.  They  were  back  in 
their  berths  26  hours  after  leaving  them,  in  ample  time  to  embark 
their  mines  for  the  squadron's  next  excursion,  and  with  a  record 
to  their  credit  for  laying  580  mines  on  the  closest  parallel  to  a 
deep-sea  minefield  that  had  ever  been  run. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  6'j 


CHAPTER  THIRTEEN 

Signals 

Signals  had  come  well  to  the  front  in  the  course  of  the  first 
excursions,  not  only  for  tactics  but  also  for  assembling  data 
quickly,  so  that  a  fairly  comprehensive  report  of  the  excursion 
might  go  to  headcjuarters  by  the  first  boat  to  shore  after  arrival. 
Spelling  out  messages  by  Morse  or  semaphore  proved  too  slow 
and  inaccurate  for  reports  from  nine  ships  in  one  afternoon,  often 
in  hazy  weather,  so  a  collection  of  phrases,  and  questions  to  be 
answered  by  reference  number,  was  established,  to  be  signaled  by 
hoists  of  flags. 

As  we  had  expected  to  use  the  British  signal  system,  a  special 
training  class  was  formed  at  Newport  in  January,  while  the  mine- 
layers were  fitting  out.  In  consequence,  from  first  falling  in  with 
British  destroyers,  the  San  Francisco  communicated  easily,  and 
British  flags  could  be  used  on  the  first  excursion.  But  neither  the 
British  system  nor  our  own  was  found  to  suit  our  needs,  and  to 
combine  British  flags  with  American  meanings  made  a  risk  of 
misinterpretation  at  a  critical  time.  So  the  American  flags  were 
restored  to  use  and  the  British  ones  discontinued,  except  a  few 
retained  by  each  ship  for  calls  and  other  routine  uses,  while  the 
flagship  kept  a  full  set,  for  communicating  with  the  escort  by  the 
British  code.  A  new  system,  embodying  several  of  the  British 
features,  was  devised,  mainly  by  Lieut.  Commander  E.  S.  R. 
Brandt,  then  flag  lieutenant,  and  was  put  into  cfi'ect  on  the  second 
excursion.  The  main  feature  was  that  the  meaning  of  tactical 
signals — those  which  required  immediate  action,  affecting  the 
ships'  movements — was  self-evident  to  anyone  who  knew  the 
names  of  the  flags. 

Flags  and  associations  already  familiar  having  been  utilized,  the 
signalmen  quickly  learned.  Separation  among  three  anchorages 
prevented  signal  practice  by  the  squadron  as  a  whole  in  port, 
but  drills  several  times  daily  at  each  anchorage  and  on  the  way 
out  to  the  mining  ground  enabled  the  new  code  to  be  used  on  the 
full  squadron's  first  trip.  Great  interest  was  evident  among  the 
signal  forces  of  all  ships.     Signals  were  habitually  hoisted  only 


68  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

just  long  enough,  as  determined  by  experience,  for  the  average 
vessel  to  repeat  the  hoist.  Competition  became  keen  not  to  be  the 
cause  of  delay,  and  very  soon  the  signaling  attained  an  accuracy, 
rapidity,  and  style  comparing  favorably  with  the  best  performance 
of  any  type  of  vessel.  Once  or  twice  the  Qiiinnehaug — whose 
mast  was  not  high — beat  the  flagship  in  getting  her  own  signal  up 
to  the  yardarm.  Less  than  a  minute  by  day,  and  often  only  30 
seconds,  would  suffice  between  giving  an  order  for  a  tactical  signal 
and  beginning  its  execution  by  the  squadron — without  a  glance 
at  a  key  book  or  card  at  either  end.  Most  efficient  telephone  ser- 
vice would  hardly  equal  that. 

The  Vampire  soon  picked  up  our  new  system,  so  that  signals 
to  her  could  frequently  be  dispensed  with.  Upon  one  of  ours 
going  up,  the  corresponding  British  signal  on  Vampire  would  be 
seen  in  a  few  moments. 

Accuracy  of  transmission  and  of  record  being  very  important 
where  so  much  was  done  by  signal,  these  were  stimulated  by  daily 
comparison  of  the  signal  records  of  all  ships.  A  "  discrepancy  " 
sheet  was  compiled,  to  show  the  errors  and  omissions  of  each  ship 
for  the  previous  day,  and  directly  after  each  excursion,  the  signal 
officers  would  meet,  to  compare  the  signal  records  of  the  trip. 
A  further  check  was  kept  by  a  staff  officer  being  constantly  on 
watch  on  board  the  San  Francisco  when  at  sea,  taking  notes  upon 
incidents  and  errors  in  signals,  station-keeping,  and  the  behavior 
of  ships.  The  Recording  Angel  could  not  have  been  more  obser- 
vant. I  would  edit  the  rough  record  at  the  end  of  a  watch, 
references  to  the  pertinent  instructions  were  entered,  and  a  smooth 
"  Discrepancy  Report "  was  sent  to  all  ships  at  the  end  of  the 
excursion,  as  a  reminder  of  their  sins. 

Had  the  signal  officers  been  regulars  and  but  one  system  of 
signals  been  in  use  from  the  beginning,  the  high  standard  main- 
tained would  have  been  commendable.  The  attainment  of  such  a 
standard  by  inexperienced  personnel,  adopting  a  new  system  on 
very  short  notice,  was  highly  creditable  to  all  concerned.  Espe- 
cially should  there  be  mention  of  Chief  Quartermaster  William  H. 
Kerins,  of  the  San  Francisco,  and  the  other  chiefs,  whose  training 
and  management  of  their  signalmen  and  whose  own  skill  and 
fidelity  made  our  quick  and  accurate  communication  possible. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  69 


CHAPTER  FOURTEEN 
The  Barrier  Across 

The  barrage  began  to  show  results  early  in  July,  after  our 
second  excursion,  although  not  yet  half  across.  The  enemy  sub- 
marines changed  their  route  then,  so  as  to  go  through  Fair  Island 
Channel,  south  instead  of  north  of  the  Shetlands.  Thus  they 
would  pass  west  of  the  partial  barrage,  through  the  60-mile  wide 
passage  still  open.  The  fact  of  Area  A  having  been  proclaimed 
gave  ample  warning,  and  even  the  enemy  could  not  complain 
of  being  ambushed,  if  he  sustained  damage  there.  Advertising  a 
minefield  two  months  in  advance  was  certainly  fair  play.  But 
now  came  the  mining  of  Area  B,  which  would  carry  the  barrier 
clear  across  the  last  45  miles  of  the  230-mile  stretch.  This  was 
not  published,  but  the  enemy  might  have  assumed  that  it  would  be 
done  sooner  or  later. 

A  joint  excursion  by  the  two  squadrons  was  arranged,  Rear 
Admiral  Strauss  commanding  the  whole,  flying  his  flag  on  board 
San  Francisco  again.  The  squadrons  joined  ofif  the  middle  Ork- 
neys the  morning  of  7  September,  and  began  the  minelaying  a 
few  miles  to  the  northward,  starting  from  a  buoy  placed  by 
H.  M.  S.  Laburnum  and  removed  by  her  after  we  had  passed.  As 
we  were  directly  in  the  submarines'  thoroughfare,  special  patrols 
were  provided,  surface  and  air,  in  Fair  Island  Channel  and  also 
well  to  the  southward  of  us.  The  American  squadron  planted 
six  upper  level  lines,  the  British  squadron  planted  one  similar  line, 
after  the  completion  of  which  it  separated  to  the  southward,  re- 
turning to  its  base  at  Grangemouth,  Firth  of  Forth.  On  the  way, 
one  of  them  had  a  collision  in  the  fog  with  a  destroyer  of  its 
escort,  which  later  sank  in  consequence. 

Our  squadron  turned  north  at  the  end  of  our  minefield,  ran 
taut  wire  to  Buoy  No.  5,  thence  paralleled  the  minefield  at  five 
miles  distance  for  observation  of  defective  mine  explosions,  steer- 
ing west  to  the  Orkneys  and  returning  to  the  base  on  the  reverse 
of  the  outbound  courses.  Fog  came  on  soon  after  mining  was 
finished,  continuing  intermittently  until  we  made  port.  For  this 
reason,  San  Francisco  did  not  cut  her  taut  wire  at  Buoy  5  but  kept 


yo  The  Yankee  ^Mixing  Squadron 

it  running  until  the  squadron  slowed  to  take  in  paravanes,  near 
Cromarty — 122  miles  of  wire  run  out,  without  a  break. 

The  succeeding  excursion  was  similar,  with  Rear  Admiral  L. 
Clinton-Baker,  R.  N.,  in  H.  ]\I.  S.  Princess  Margaret,  in  command 
of  the  whole  force,  Rear  Admiral  Strauss  again  on  board  San 
Francisco.  On  the  way  out,  it  was  not  permitted  to  pass  between 
the  Orkneys  and  the  westei-n  end  of  the  minefield  planted  just 
previously,  but  instead,  the  squadrons  were  routed  NW'ly,  through 
Stronsay  and  Westray  Firths,  in  the  Orkneys,  thence  E'ly  through 
Fair  Island  Channel,  and  down  to  within  five  miles  north  of  the 
other  minefield. 

\\'hile  standing  through  Stronsay  Firth  in  a  long,  single  column, 
the  British  squadron,  w^hich  was  in  the  lead,  opened  fire  on  its 
starboard  quarter,  its  escorting  destroyers  gathering  to  drop  bombs 
about  a  certain  spot.  Upon  signal  from  the  Princess  Margaret, 
the  starboard  wing  destroyers  of  our  escort  speeded  ahead  to 
join  the  attack,  but  the  port  wing  destroyers  remained  on  station, 
although  the  leading  squadron's  destroyers  had  left  theirs.  In  a 
few  moments,  a  submarine  broached  about  1500  yards,  two  points 
on  San  Francisco's  starboard  bow,  heading  across  to  port,  through 
the  column,  between  the  two  squadrons.  Some  destroyers  followed 
and  continued  bombing.  Smoke  screens  were  laid  by  our  escort 
{Vampire,  Captain  Godfrey,  and  11  others  of  14th  Flotilla)  and 
by  our  own  ships,  which  thus  had  a  good  test  for  their  smoke 
outfits.  Roanoke  chanced  to  have  a  steering  engine  disablement 
just  at  this  moment,  causing  her  to  sheer  out  and  shift  to  hand 
gear,  and  the  Housatonic  also  had  some  steering  trouble,  but  there 
was  no  mishap,  and  the  submarine  also  for  the  time  escaped.  By 
good  luck,  an  official  photographer  happened  to  be  on  board  San 
Francisco,  and  he  got  some  pictures  of  genuine  activity. 

A  delay  at  the  morning  rendezvous,  the  long  distance  round 
about,  and  adverse  current  combined  to  make  a  late  mining  start. 
While  the  mining  was  in  progress,  the  bodies  of  two  German 
sailors  were  passed,  and  a  heavy  explosion  was  observed  in  the 
eighth  minefield,  five  miles  distant,  in  a  position  that  plotted  in 
the  same  place  a  submarine  would  be  wliieh  had  been  reported 
shortly  before. 

Darkness  shut  in  about  an  hour  before  planting  was  completed 
but  it  caused  no  suspension  nor  interference.  At  the  end  of  the 
field,  buoys  were  dropped  as  usual,  and  all  ships  together  turned 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  71 

left,  without  signal  but  on  orders  given  before  dark,  to  the  eourse 
north,  then  formed  in  two  columns  for  the  run  home.  The  British 
and  American  squadrons  had  now  separated  and  they  passed  back 
through  Westray  Firth  in  succession  after  daylight  next  morn- 
ing. Off  Pentland  Skerries  a  suspicious  craft  ahead  caused 
another  submarine  alarm,  and  the  escort  again  enveloped  the 
squadron  in  a  smoke  screen,  but  the  alarm  proved  false. 

This  time,  the  10  American  vessels  had  planted  six  lines,  two 
at  each  of  the  usual  levels,  46  miles  long,  5520  mines  in  all,  the 
maximum  of  any  excursion;  the  4  British  vessels  planted  one  line 
at  deep  level,  1300  mines,  32  miles  long,  making  altogether  6820 
mines  on  the  excursion,  the  largest  single  minefield  ever  planted — 
done  in  3  hours  and  50  minutes.  Upon  returning  to  the  bases, 
Admiral  Strauss  signaled  "  The  Commander  Mine  Force  con- 
gratulates the  squadron  on  this  biggest  and  most  successful  ex- 
cursion." 


72  The  Yankee  jMinixg  Squadron 


CHAPTER  FIFTEEN 
Finishing  the  Barrier 

The  conference  at  Malta  at  which  Rear  Admiral  Strauss  was 
the  American  representative  recommended  extensive  mine  bar- 
rages in  the  Mediterranean,  in  locations  where  the  depths  of 
water  were  much  greater  than  any  yet  mined,  involving"  winter 
operations  for  us.  As  a  first  step,  Captain  jMurfin  was  sent  down 
to  Bizerta,  near  Tunis,  to  establish  a  base  there,  like  his  two  in 
Scotland — though  under  much  less  favorable  conditions.  Con- 
siderable experimenting  at  home  was  likewise  involved,  to  develop 
a  suitable  extra-deep  mine  and  its  moorings.  Experienced  per- 
sonnel being  needed  for  this,  orders  came  placing  the  Baltimore  at 
disposition  of  our  Naval  Bureau  of  Ordnance  for  the  purpose. 
Accordingly,  on  the  tenth  excursion,  26  September,  she  parted 
company  off  Scapa  Flow,  sailing  thence  two  days  later  for  home. 
In  the  nine  other  ships,  97  per  cent  of  the  mine  capacity  remained, 
but  as  an  experienced  vessel  of  regular  man-of-war  type,  the 
Baltimore's  value  in  the  squadron  had  far  exceeded  her  propor- 
tionate capacity. 

The  minelaying  squadrons  were  now  doubling  and  trebling  the 
barrage,  which  had  been  carried  clear  across  the  North  Sea  on  the 
eighth  excursion,  7  September.  Hitherto  we  had  been  favored  by 
good  weather,  but  the  season  of  frequent  storms  was  approaching 
and  already  the  lengthening  hours  of  darkness  made  a  considerable 
difiference. 

Our  one  loss  of  life  at  sea  occurred  just  as  the  Baltimore  left  us. 
The  Saranac's  port  paravane  was  running  badly  and,  in  clearing  it, 
George  C.  Anderson,  chief  boatswain's  mate,  stepped  out  on  the 
davit — a  sudden  jerk!  and  he  was  gone.  Although  search  was 
made,  he  was  never  seen  again.  He  had  been  an  energetic  yet 
safe  leader,  never  allowing  another  man  to  go  overside  without 
a  bowline  around  him,  but  of  himself  had  been  less  careful. 

An  almost  unbroken  record  of  ten  excursions  carried  through 
without  breakdown  or  delay  made  such  a  performance  now  seem 
a  matter  of  course.  The  artificer  personnel  of  all  ships  made  a 
fine  showing  in  upkeep  and  in  steady  steaming  at  sea,  notwith- 
standing that  overhaul  time  was  very  limited.  On  returning  to 
port,  the  squadron  would  prepare  immediately  for  another  excur- 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  73 

sion  and  would  then  wait  from  day  to  day  for  the  escort,  under 
notice  too  short  for  the  extensive  overhaul  desirable.  As  the 
operation  progressed,  making  more  wear  and  tear,  the  intervals 
between  excursions  became  shorter  and  bad  weather  frequently 
necessitated  keeping  steam  ready,  in  case  the  anchors  dragged, 
as  often  they  did,  all  which  reduced  the  repair  time.  Unfinished 
details  of  conversion,  hard  usage  in  former  hands,  absence  of 
spare  feed  pumps  and  similar  secondary  dependencies,  and  a  large 
amount  of  auxiliary  machinery  for  the  vessels'  size, — all  these 
were  work-making  factors.  Yet,  except  for  wear,  the  general 
condition  of  all  machinery  steadily  improved. 

A  large  amount  of  self-repair  was  done,  the  Roanoke  being 
almost  wholly  self-sustaining,  resorting  very  little  even  to  our 
own  repair  ship  Black  Hawk.  The  San  Francisco's  carpenter 
gang  built  an  excellent  emergency  cabin  under  the  bridge  in  about 
10  days.  Then  the  Sliazaniut  and  Aroostook  by  themselves  in- 
creased their  oil  fuel  capacity  by  50  per  cent,  which  later  enabled 
them  to  make  the  run  homeward  unassisted  and  unescorted. 

Procedure  in  conducting  the  squadron  aimed  at  steadiness  in 
steaming  and  steering.  No  unnecessary  chances  were  taken,  but 
neither  was  the  treatment  tender.  The  ships  always  worked  near 
their  speed  limit,  with  only  the  reserve  needed  for  tactical  reasons. 
Their  good  performance  was  due  to  careful,  intelligent  foresight, 
and  the  rarity  of  even  minor  disablements  is  proof  of  noteworthy 
ability  and  fidelity  on  the  part  of  the  engine  and  fireroom  per- 
sonnel. No  ship  was  ever  late,  no  minelaying  operation  ever 
interrupted,,  only  one  hot  bearing  occurred,  only  once  did  a  ship's 
engine  have  to  stop — for  but  a  few  minutes — in  8400  miles 
steaming. 

As  for  steady  station-keeping,  some  ships,  notably  Canandaigua, 
were  always  there — hour  after  hour,  night  and  day — and  the 
others  were  seldom  out.  Approaching  and  during  the  minelaying, 
they  were  very  accurate.  As  one  visiting  officer  from  the  fleet 
said,  "  You've  got  it  on  the  battleships,"  and  it  was  officially 
reported  by  Admiral  Mayo  that 

The  minelayers,  though  of  diverse  types,  maneuvered  well  together  and 
kept  station  very  well  indeed ;  they  appeared  to  be  under  excellent  control, 
both  individually  and  as  units,  at  all  times.  The  laying  operation  which 
was  witnessed  was  carried  out  according  to  plan  without  hitch  of  any  kind, 
thus  indicating  the  efficacy  of  the  preparation,  including  planning,  and  the 
thorough  understanding  of  the  work  by  all  concerned. 


74  The  Yankee  AIinixg  Squadron 

Aluch  official  interest  was  taken  in  our  operation  and  brief 
visits  to  the  bases  and  the  ships  were  made  during  the  summer 
by  \'ice  Admiral  Sims,  Admiral  Sir  Rosslyn  Wemyss,  the  British 
First  Sea  Lord,  Vice  Admiral  Ommaney  of  the  Admiralty,  Rear 
Admiral  Clinton-Baker,  R.  N.,  the  House  of  Representatives' 
Naval  Committee,  and  Assistant  Secretary  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt. 
Several  of  our  naval  officers  went  out  on  excursions,  and  Lieut. 
Commander  DeSalis,  R.  N.,  always  a  welcome,  enthusiastic  sup- 
porter, went  on  several  of  them.  They  all  admired  the  orderly, 
complete,  and  ample  arrangements  of  the  mine  assembling  bases 
and  were  especially  complimentary  about  the  new  minelayers. 

Officers  and  men  felt  intense  pride  in  their  ships,  and  spared  no 
efitort  to  keep  them  in  regular  man-of-war  condition.  The  ten 
made  a  handsome  squadron,  and  in  capacity  for  carrying  mines, 
in  equipment  for  handling  and  planting  them  continuously,  and 
general  arrangement  and  quality,  the  new  American  minelayers 
were  admittedly  superior  to  any  others. 

Their  capacity  and  performance  was  the  subject  of  much  favor- 
able comment  and  careful  study  by  the  British  Admiralty.  Besides 
large  mine  capacity,  their  mine  elevators  were  a  striking  feature. 
The  very  first  thing  considered  in  the  plans  had  been  how  to  get 
the  lower  deck  mines  up  to  the  launching  deck,  so  that  a  ship's 
entire  load  might  be  planted  in  one  unbroken  string.  The  Otis 
Elevator  Company's  representatives  had  been  called  in  at  the 
outset  and,  after  several  alternatives  had  been  examined,  their 
standard  platform  type  was  decided  upon,  each  elevator  lifting 
two  mines  every  20  seconds.  Six  elevators  in  the  four  largest 
ships,  four  in  two  others,  were  in  use  9  months  in  all  kinds  of 
weather  at  sea.  Only  one  of  the  32  elevators  ever  failed,  and  that 
one  just  once ! 

The  British  minelayers  had  had  trouble  from  the  mine  tracks 
opening  and  closing  with  the  working  of  the  ship  in  a  seaway. 
In  ours,  the  tracks  were  secured  to  steel  crossties  mounted  on 
wooden  bolsters,  the  strength  and  stiffness  of  the  tie,  with  the 
elasticity  of  the  bolster,  keeping  the  rails  true  to  gauge,  notwith- 
standing they  were  lighter  rails  than  the  British  used.  Special 
interest  was  taken  also  in  the  simple,  light  switches  used  in  our 
ships'  mine  tracks.  Some  of  the  Admiralty  officials  were  hard  to 
convince  that  these  switches  actually  worked,  even  when  operated 
before  their  eyes. 


TiiK  YankkI':  Mining  Squadron  -j^ 

V/hile  the  shi])s  were  embarking  mines  and  coaling'  for  the 
twelfth  excursion,  Admiral  H.  T.  Mayo,  Commander-in-Chief. 
Atlantic  Fleet,  accompanied  by  Captain  O.  P.  Jackson,  his  Chief 
of  Staff,  Rear  Admiral  Strauss,  and  Captain  N.  C.  Twining,  Chief 
of  StafT  to  Vice  Admiral  Sims,  made  an  informal  ship  inspection, 
after  which  Rear  Admiral  Strauss  published  the  following: 

8  October,  1918. 

Admiral  Mayo,  commander-in-chief,  left  the  licadciuarters  of  the  mine 
force  yesterday  evening  for  the  south. 

He  expressed  himself  as  highly  pleased  witii  tlie  zeal,  loyal  cooperation 
and  efficiency  of  the  mine  force  both  ashore  and  afloat  and  congratulated  us 
on  the  work  we  have  accomplished. 

The  commander  of  the  mine  force  is  unable  to  give  any  data  as  to  the 
number  of  enemy  submarines  that  have  been  destroyed  as  a  result  of  our 
efforts,  but  it  is  practically  certain  that  the  toll  is  considerable. 

The  commander-in-chief  emphasized  the  part  that  the  mine  force  is 
taking  against  the  enemy  as  a  distinct  military  offensive,  thoroughly  known 
and  appreciated  at  home. 

Admiral  Mayo  found  things  in  their  normal  condition,  with  no 
preparation  made  for  him,  as  some  ships  were  coaling,  others 
embarking  mines.  He  was  evidently  pleased  with  all  that  he 
saw,  and  he  remarked  how  fortunate  it  was  that  we  had  been 
training  in  that  kind  of  work,  in  the  old,  small  mine  force,  for  two 
years  past. 

Bad  weather  during  some  part  of  an  excursion  became  no.w  the 
rule.  Coming  through  a  narrow  passage  in  Westray  Firth  one 
morning,  strong  tide  against  a  strong  wind  made  an  ugly  cross 
sea,  knocking  us  down  to  eight  knots.  One  destroyer  broached  to, 
and  for  a  few  moments  lay  between  our  columns,  wallowing 
heavily,  as  if  the  next  roll  would  surely  take  her  under. 

Shortly  afterwards,  one  arm  of  the  Ouiiiiicbaug's  rudder  quad- 
rant broke,  and  the  other  arm  bent  almost  to  the  point  of  fracture. 
Had  it  too  gone,  she  could  not  have  escaped  wreck  on  the  rocky 
channel  side.  Fortunately  she  was  able  to  gain  partial  shelter ; 
in  two  hours  she  made  repairs  and,  taking  after  the  rest  at  top 
speed,  she  arrived  at  Invergordon  only  45  minutes  behind  them. 
As  a  coastwise  merchant  liner,  she  was  often  behind  time,  but  in 
naval  hands  she  developed  speed  to  spare,  frequently  maintaining 
on  natural  draft  10  per  cent  more  than  her  former  best  speed 
under  forced  draft. 

Passing  mines  adrift  was  a  frequent  occurrence.  Occasionally 
we  would  have  to  turn  out   for  them.     If  of  the  moored  type 


'j^)  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

originally,  broken  away  from  their  anchors,  they  should  be  safe 
when  drifting'.  But  of  course  safety  devices,  like  all  others,  not 
infrequently  fail  to  function,  especially  after  immersion  in  sea 
water.  A\'e  let  the  mines  alone,  but  occasionally  an  escort  de- 
stroyer would  fire  a  few  rounds,  to  sink  them. 

A  German  floating  mine,  upon  one  occasion,  was  sighted  nearly 
ahead  by  the  Qumnehang,  at  a  moment  when  her  port  paravane, 
running  foul,  had  been  hauled  in,  to  clear  it.  Thrown  overboard 
bodily,  the  paravane  fell  on  its  back,  and  fortunately  righting 
itself,  came  in  contact  with  the  floating  mine,  which  apparently 
had  a  mooring  line  attached  to  it,  and  towed  it  along  with  the 
ship  for  probably  30  seconds — when  the  mine  detached  itself  and 
floated  astern.  While  this  was  going  on  on  deck,  a  fire  broke 
out  below,  in  the  midst  of  the  mines  on  the  stowage  deck.  The 
ship's  cooks,  who  were  in  the  galley  at  work,  with  the  greatest 
promptness  seized  hand  fire  extinguishers,  climbed  over  between 
the  mines  and  extinguished  the  flames.  The  Quinnebaiig  started 
planting  within  two  minutes  after  this  danger  was  averted. 

How  such  a  fire  would  have  spread  in  one  of  these  ships,  so 
full  of  woodwork,  was  shown  on  board  the  sister  ship,  Saranac, 
after  our  return,  in  January,  1919.  at  Hampton  Roads.  The  very 
night  after  discharging  her  mines  a  fire  broke  out,  spreading  with 
such  rapidity  that  the  sleeping  officers  had  to  escape  in  their  night 
clothes,  losing  all  their  effects,  and  the  men  in  the  engine  room 
were  barely  able  to  attend  the  pumps  without  suffocation. 

The  longest  single  minefield  on  record  was  the  twelfth,  laid  on 
13  October, — first  an  8^  mile  stretch  5  lines  wide,  then  65  miles 
3  lines  wide,  '/2)2  miles  in  all.  It  was  begun  at  7.33  a.  m.  and 
finished  at  2.52,  over  7  hours.  In  the  latter  part,  we  ran  closer 
than  usual  to  the  adjacent  field,  to  keep  inside  the  proclaimed 
barrage  limits.  That  night,  steaming  at  easy  speed  so  as  not  to 
make  the  entrance  to  Westray  Firth  before  daylight,  radio  orders 
were  received  from  the  Commander-in-Chief,  Grand  Fleet,  about 
II  o'clock,  to  proceed  with  despatch  into  Westray  Firth.  Other 
messages  were  intercepted,  indicating  that  enemy  vessels  were  out, 
and  as  we  passed  Pentland  Skerries  next  forenoon  an  unusually 
large  number  of  British  destroyers  and  sweepers  and  an  observa- 
tion balloon  were  searching  that  vicinity  for  mines  and  sub- 
marines. Quiet  was  returning,  after  a  night  of  greater  activity 
than  for  a  long  time. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  77 


CHAPTER  SIXTEEN 
The  Thirteenth  Excursion 

The  thirteenth  minefield  was  to  be  partly  in  Area  A,  extending 
from  its  southeast  corner  across  Area  C  towards  Udsire  Island, 
ending  at  a  point  three  miles  short  of  a  minefield  which  the  Nor- 
wegians had  planted  around  Udsire.  All  mines  were  of  the  upper 
level,  and,  as  the  depth  varied  from  70  to  150  fathoms,  three  kinds 
of  anchors  were  used,  which  necessitated  special  care  as  to  the 
order  in  which  mines  were  stowed  in  the  ships.  The  purpose  of 
this  field  was  to  close  the  gap  between  the  British  and  American 
minefields  in  Area  C,  and  the  American  minefields  in  Area  A,  and 
also  to  increase  the  surface  obstruction  across  Area  C  by  two 
more  lines  of  upper  level  mines. 

No  duty  could  surpass  this  series  of  mining  excursions  for 
interest  sustained  to  the  end.  The  few  events  and  noteworthy 
features  so  far  mentioned  may  perhaps  seem  to  conflict  with  this 
statement,  but  the  smoothness  of  operation  constantly  striven  for 
tended  to  eliminate  interior  incidents,  and  no  mere  description  can 
ever  impart  an  adequate  impression  of  our  experiences.  Keen 
anticipation,  attention  ever  alert,  and  a  sense  of  adventure  were 
fresh  on  each  occasion.  There  was  sameness  enough  in  the 
occupations  while  in  port — coaling,  cleaning,  embarking  mines, 
and  liberty  in  small  towns,  but  life  underway  meant  something 
doing  all  the  time  which  every  one  felt  worth  while.  Until  back 
at  the  buoy  again,  inward  bound,  it  was  all  activity,  the  hours 
often  crowded,  the  whole  period  sleepless  for  those  in  command, 
never  dull  for  any  one.  Only  as  the  anchors  went  down  and  the 
tension  relaxed  could  one  realize  how  fast  we  were  living.  To 
quote  a  Saranac  poet — 

"They  gave  us  a  job  we  had  to  do, 
A  little  bit  risky — yes — that's  true  ; 
A  good  deal  like  work,  botli  night  and  day 
But  a  darn  good  game  for  a  man  to  play." 


/8  The  Yankee  ^Iinixg  Squadron 

From  the  earliest  discussion  of  the  Northern  Barrage  project, 
one  of  its  probable  developments  was,  by  general  acceptance,  to 
draw  out  the  German  fleet,  and  that  ever  present  possibility  gave 
an  added  spice  to  the  work.  Someone  characterized  our  opera- 
tions as  "  An  important  military  offensive  with  a  front  seat  at 
the  second  battle  of  Jutland,"'  and  at  the  time  of  the  thirteenth 
excursion  it  seemed  as  if  the  mine  squadron  might  indeed  be  the 
bait.  Due  to  the  prospect  of  the  German  fleet  coming  out,  the 
squadron  was  ready  a  full  week  before  Admiral  Beatty  could  spare 
a  destroyer  escort  for  us. 

The  San  Francisco  and  six  other  planters  made  this  excursion, 
the  Roanoke  and  Canandaigna  being  omitted.  They  had  been 
docking  at  Newcastle-on-Tyne  when  the  mine  embarking  was 
done,  and  although  they  returned  in  time  to  have  joined  without 
altering  the  loading  of  the  other  ships,  other  considerations, 
external  to  our  Force,  determined  that  they  should  not  go.  With 
Vampire,  Captain  Godfrey,  as  escort  leader  for  the  tenth  time, 
departure  was  made  from  Cromarty  buoy  at  1.30  p.  m.,  Thursday, 
24  October.  An  earlier  departure  had  been  first  ordered,  but  a 
message  from  the  Grand  Fleet  held  us  back  a  few  hours. 

A  storm  warning  was  out  as  we  sailed,  and  that  night  the  storm 
overtook  us,  continuing  with  varying  intensity  all  the  next  day 
and  night.  Friday  forenoon,  H.  M.  S.  Primrose  pointed  out  and 
verified  Buoy  No.  3,  and  a  lull  in  the  storm  gave  hope  that  the 
mining  might  be  carried  out  that  day ;  but  the  wind  freshened 
again  before  the  starting  point  was  reached.  The  ships  rolled 
deeply  with  their  heavy  loads,  from  27  to  32  degrees  each  way, 
but  suffered  no  damage,  and  the  mine  installations  stood  the 
severe  test  very  well.  Through  Friday  night  the  squadron  cruised 
back  and  forth  15  miles  either  side  of  the  buoy,  as  far  as  adja- 
cent minefields  would  permit.  We  could  not  afford  to  go  far 
away  from  the  buoy,  as  the  time  within  which  we  must  complete 
the  task  was  limited  and  was  now  scant.  ^\fter  the  first  turn 
about,  the  destroyers  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  and  it  was  a 
relief  to  feel  that  at  least  they  were  clear  of  possible  collision. 
We  needed  no  screen  in  such  weather  and  could  dispense,  with 
them  for  the  night.  In  the  morning  they  were  back  again,  the 
weather  moderated,  Vampire  pointed  out  the  buoy,  and  we  could 
proceed. 


TiiK  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  79 

Mining  began  at  1.27  p.  m.  and  continned  according  to  schedule 
until  two  hours  after  sunset.  The  sea  and  swell  had  died  out  so 
quickly  that  conditions  were  very  good  for  mining.  All  went 
smoothly ;  3760  mines  were  planted,  the  last  37  miles  being  over 
water  up  to  150  fathoms  deep.  As  the  first  four  vessels  completed 
their  strings,  they  were  ordered  to  cross  ahead  of  the  remaining 
planting  vessels  and  take  station  on  the  southern  wing,  ofif  Sail 
Francisco's  starboard  quarter,  where  they  would  be  clear  of  the 
British  minefield  which  lay  just  to  the  north  of  us.  Three  destroy- 
ers with  high-speed  minesweeps  out  preceded  the  line  of  planting 
vessels  until  an  hour  after  dark,  5.30  p.  m.  They  then  joined  the 
other  destroyers  to  starboard  and  southward  of  us.  In  darkness, 
and  in  silence  except  for  the  mine  detonations  astern  from  time  to 
time,  the  San  Francisco,  Canonicus,  and  Honsatonic,  in  line 
abreast,  stood  on  a  half-hour  longer,  to  the  end  of  the  mining 
track,  with  no  vessels  to  sweep  or  to  screen  ahead  as  we  drew 
near  the  coast.  The  coastal  mountains  of  Norway  and  a  search- 
light playing  on  the  clouds  were  sighted  at  considerable  distance, 
but  not  distinctly  enough  at  any  time  to  make  an  identified  bearing. 
Udsire  Island  was  dimly  sighted  in  the  direction  expected,  but  it 
was  too  dark  to  obtain  a  definite  fix,  as  its  light  was  not  burning. 
On  our  left  was  a  field  of  British  mines,  eight  miles  away  by  the 
chart,  but  of  uncertain  distance  in  fact,  since  storms  and  the 
coastal  current  might  have  moved  some  of  the  mines  in  the  ten 
weeks  since  they  were  planted,  or  broken  some  adrift.  The  ships 
kept  on  to  within  three  miles,  by  the  chart,  of  the  Norwegian  mine- 
field ahead — presumably  in  place  and  the  mines  presumably  safe 
if  broken  adrift.  One  lacks,  however,  the  same  confidence  in 
other  people's  mines  and  minefields  as  in  one's  own,  and  more 
than  the  usual  relief  was  felt  when  our  schedule  was  finished. 

Then,  promptly,  all  ships  and  destroyers  turned  right  90  degrees, 
again  turning  right,  five  minutes  later,  70  degrees  more,  to  course 
W.  by  S.  The  squadron  then  formed  in  two  columns  and,  when 
seven  miles  clear  of  the  minefield,  ran  parallel  to  it  on  the  reverse 
of  the  mining  course,  for  observation.  A  curious  efifect  was 
experienced  here,  the  first  occasion  where  we  were  heading 
generally  toward  a  freshly  laid  field,  instead  of  directly  away. 
The  vessel's  movement  through  the  water  towards  the  mines 
enhanced  the  sharpness  of  shock  from  the  exploding  defective 
ones — to  such  an  extent  that  both  ofticers  and  men  came  on  the 
6 


8o  The  Yankee  Mixixg  Squadron 

bridge  in  real  concern,  reporting  that  we  must  have  struck 
something. 

It  was  noteworthy  during  this  thirteenth  excursion  that 
the  management  of  the  ships,  always  good  before,  continued 
so,  in  spite  of  the  heavy  weather.  About  9.00  p.  m.  following  a 
hard  squall  which  came  in  the  midst  of  a  turn,  causing  the  ships 
to  get  considerably  out  of  station,  three  successive  90-degree  turns 
were  made  and  the  squadron  was  then  formed,  upon  signal,  in  a 
new  order,  for  more  convenience  during  the  rest  of  the  night.  All 
was  done  in  good  time,  yet  without  any  vessels  coming  uncom- 
fortably near  in  the  course  of  it.  Next  day,  the  last  two  hours  of 
mining  were  after  sunset,  but  no  lights  were  shown  nor  tactical 
signal  made.  All  maneuvers  at  the  finish  were  made  at  prescribed 
clock  times,  in  obedience  to  signals  sent  before  dark. 

The  supporting  force  sighted  us  about  1.55  p.m.  Friday,  12 
miles  ofif,  then  stood  to  the  westward.  About  9.30  a.  m.  Saturday 
a  light  cruiser  of  the  support  communicated  and  at  2.00  p.  m.  the 
whole  support  was  sighted  again,  to  the  southward,  consisting  of 
the  second  battle  cruiser  squadron,  the  fifth  battle  squadron,  and 
the  seventh  light  cruiser  squadron.  Vice  Adnnral  Pakenham,  in 
H.  M.  S.  Lion,  commanding  the  Battle  Cruiser  Force,  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  whole.  This  excursion  took  our  squadron  farther 
afield  than  it  had  been  since  June.  After  the  third  excursion,  all 
our  planting  had  been  done  behind  a  barrier  of  our  own  making 
or  else  close  to  British  waters,  but  on  this  occasion  we  were  on 
the  exposed  side  of  the  whole  barrage. 

Late  Sunday  night,  27  October,  the  squadron  returned  to  port, 
and  by  the  following  Wednesday,  30  October,  all  nine  ships  were 
again  loaded,  and  there  they  waited,  for  12  days  of  vile 
weather,  ready  for  another  excursion.  The  one  planned  would 
have  completed  the  fourth  system,  extending  northeasterly  from 
the  end  of  the  twelfth  minefield.  But  no  more  mining  was  neces- 
sary, and  upon  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  the  mines  on  the 
launching  decks  were  disembarked  from  the  ships,  to  give  more 
space  for  the  crews.  Preparations  were  then  taken  up  for  return- 
ing to  the  United  States. 

Of  six  months  in  European  waters  to  the  date  of  the  armistice, 
on  33  days  the  squadron  or  some  of  its  ships  were  under- 
way, steaming  in  the  North  Sea  more  than  8400  miles.  So  far  as 
readiness  of  the  s(iuadron  was  concerned,  the  excursions  could 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  8i 

have  been  made  with  greater  rapidity — never  was  an  excursion 
delayed  on  account  of  a  ship's  not  being  prepared.  During  the 
five  months  of  minelaying  activity,  the  intervals  between  excur- 
sions averaged  lo  days.  The  time  actually  consumed  in  em1)ark- 
ing  mines,  coaling,  and  routine  overhaul  came  to  less  than  four 
days,  so  that  four  excursions  a  month  could  have  been  made,  but 
for  the  delays  incident  to  maiuifacture  and  to  considerations 
external  to  our  Force. 


82  The  Yankee  ^Iining  Squadron 


CHAPTER  SEVENTEEN 
Results 

Altogether  there  were  13  regular  excursions  and  two 
special  ones  by  the  American  squadron,  and  11  by  the  British 
squadron.  In  all,  70,117  mines  were  planted,  of  which  56,571,  or 
four-fifths,  were  American.  In  its  230  miles  length,  the  barrage 
varied  in  width  from  15  to  35  miles,  so  that  a  submarine  could  not 
attempt  a  crossing-  without  being  in  danger  for  from  one  to  three 
hours,  or  twice  as  long,  if  running  submerged.  The  obstruction 
extended  to  a  depth  of  240  feet,  except  over  the  eastern  section 
of  50  miles  length,  where  the  deepest  mines  were  submerged  125 
feet. 

In  small  fields,  of  a  few  score  or  hundreds  of  mines,  laid  piece- 
meal by  fixed  marks,  the  mines  in  adjacent  lines  are  usually 
"  staggered,"  so  as  to  halve  and  block  the  opposite  intervals,  but 
in  an  open-sea  minefield  of  immense  area,  far  beyond  sight  of  any 
marks  and  laid  at  12  knots  speed  or  faster,  no  such  nicety  is  pos- 
sible or  necessary.  The  great  Northern  Barrage  opposed  from  6  to 
10  lines  of  mines  to  a  submarine  on  the  surface  and  three  to  four 
lines  more  at  whatever  depth  the  submarine  might  think  he  could 
safely  pass.  Absolute  impassability  never  was  attained  nor 
expected.  At  the  thickest  part  a  submarine  had  one  chance  in  ten 
of  getting  through.  The  explosion  of  defective  mines  had  left 
some  thin  spots — but  who  could  tell  where?  Such  a  minefield  is 
not  so  much  like  a  Chinese  wall  as  it  is  like  a  stretch  of  rough, 
treacherous  country,  whose  crossing  would  always  be  a  desperate 
venture. 

Submarines  are  known  to  have  crossed  the  barrier,  but  they  all 
feared  it,  and  as  early  as  8  July,  1918,  some  experienced  its  deadly 
effect.  From  the  very  circumstances  of  the  barrier's  great  extent 
and  the  absence  of  observers,  the  full  toll,  in  damage  as  well  as 
destruction,  may  never  be  known.  The  official  statistics  of  lost 
German  submarines,  compiled  March  i,  1919,  credit  the  North- 
ern Barrage  with  the  destruction  of  four  submarines  certainly, 
two  more  probably,  and  possibly  still  two  more.  An  equal  number 
were  severely  damaged,  though  not  destroyed,  and  it  is  considered 
probable  by  the  British  Admiralty  that  the  loss  of  five  other  sub- 


liiK  Yaxkei-:  Mixing  Squadron  83 

marines,  the  cause  of  which  cannot  be  definitely  proven,  is  ac- 
counted for  Ijy  the  Northern  Barrage.  Thus  Ijy  rehalile  records,  the 
toll  was  17.  Indications  during"  the  sweeping  up  of  the  barrage 
tend  to  confirm  this.  Besides  these,  to  the  squadron's  credit, 
should  be  added  the  two  sul)marines  reported  lost  in  the  North 
Irish  ChaiuK'l,  in  the  field  which  consisted  of  British  mines  laid 
by  our  Baltimore. 

The  summary  of  Activities  of  U.  S.  Naval  Forces  in  European 
Waters,  issued  by  Admiral  Sims,  says  further: 

There  is  no  doubt  that  this  barrage  had  a  considerable  moral  effect  on 
the  German  naval  crews,  for  it  is  known  that  several  submarines  hesitated 
some  time  before  crossing.  Also,  reports  from  German  sources  are  that  the 
barrage  caused  no  small  amount  of  panic  in  some  of  the  submarine  flotillas. 

It  is  also  probable  that  the  barrage  played  a  part  in  preventing  raids  on 
Allied  commerce  by  fast  enemy  cruisers. 

In  thus  deterring  a  sally  by  enemy  cruisers,  the  barrage  aided 
the  mission  of  the  American  Battleship  Division  Six,  under  Rear 
Admiral  T.  S.  Rodgers,  U.  S.  N.,  flagship  Utah,  which  was  sent 
over  to  guard  the  convoys  and  was  based  on  Berehaven,  Ireland. 

One  of^cially  reported  statement  of  a  German  submarine  cap- 
tain said  that  three  submarines,  including  his  own,  had  been 
damaged  by  the  barrage  but  all  had  reached  port.  The  injury  in 
his  case  prevented  his  diving.  Other  accounts,  in  the  press  and 
from  individuals,  give  some  indication  of  the  moral  effect  pro- 
duced by  this  great  mine-field,  reaching  to  the  German  Army  and 
also  among  civilians. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  what  proportion  of  the  sub- 
marines that  passed  the  line  of  the  barrier  were  harmed  by  it, 
but  the  eft'ect  upon  the  enemy  went  far  beyond  such  tangible 
injuries.  Every  successive  case  of  being  damaged  yet  escaping 
destruction  would  increase  the  moral  effect,  and  magnify  the  num- 
ber of  losses  that  would  be  attributed  to  the  barrage,  as  other 
submarines  failed  to  return.  Official  summaries  rate  depth 
charges  first,  mines  next,  in  importance  among  the  five  most 
effective  measures  against  submarines. 

A  mark  of  royal  approval  was  indirectly  conferred  upon  the 
Mine  Force  undertaking  after  only  one  excursion,  in  the  bestowal 
upon  Rear  Admiral  Strauss  of  the  honor  Knight  Commander  of 
St.  Michael  and  St.  George,  and  our  o])erations  received  mention 
later  by  the  First  Sea  Lord  of  the  r)ritish  Admiralt\-  in  his  reply 


84  The  Yaxkee  [Mining  Squadron 

to  the  congratulatory  message  of  Admiral  Sims  upon  the  con- 
clusion of  the  armistice : 

We  recognize  with  a  feeling  of  gratitude  the  debt  we  owe  to  the  United 
States  Navy  for  its  wholehearted  support  during  the  past  i8  months, 
not  only  in  the  submarine  campaign  and  extensive  minelaying  programme, 
but  also  in  sending  the  xA-tlantic  squadron  to  reinforce  the  Grand  Fleet  .  .  . 

During  the  four  months  intervening,  the  press  made  occasional 
brief  reference  to  the  effectiveness  of  the  North  Sea  barrier  but, 
compared  to  other  operations,  ours  received  scant  mention.  A 
veil  of  general  silence  was  deemed  necessary  for  our  doings,  and 
the  policy  of  concealing  the  destruction  of  submarines  stood  in 
the  way  of  even  telling  our  men  the  few  authentic  reports  we  did 
receive  of  damage  to  the  enemy  from  our  own  work. 

One  accoimt,  widely  copied  in  the  British  and  home  press, 
described  the  barrier,  which  we  had  begun  and  were  still  at  work 
upon,  as  already  a  fact  and  a  British  accomplishment !  And  when, 
in  October,  the  story  was  released  in  America,  the  accounts  which 
reached  us  dwelt  mainly  upon  the  parts  of  the  work  done  on 
shore.  As  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  put  it,  the  minelaying  was 
done  with  "  no  glamour  nor  romance  nor  appreciation." 

It  was  not  in  the  character  of  our  officers  and  men,  however, 
to  feel  discontent.  Thoroughly  interested  in  their  work  and  con- 
vinced of  its  importance,  they  were  satisfied  to  have  it  progressing 
well,  and  to  wait  for  their  part  to  receive  its  due. 

Admiral  Sims  expressed  his  recognition  shortly  before  we 
sailed  from  Portland,  England,  for  home.  All  the  commanding 
officers,  many  other  officers,  and  25  men  from  each  mine- 
layer were  assembled  on  board  the  San  Francisco,  and  when  the 
admiral  came  on  board,  his  flag  was  broken  at  the  main  truck. 
After  brief  mention  of  the  large  numbers  and  the  many  activities 
of  our  naval  forces  in  European  waters;  he  said  that  the  Mine 
Eorce — 

had  done  a  stunt  the  like  of  which  had  not  been  done  in  the  world  before. 
After  we  came  into  tlie  war  we  designed  a  mine,  built  it,  equipped  the 
minelayers,  sent  them  over  to  this  side  and  planted  more  mines  in  less 
space  of  time  than  any  nation  in  the  world  ever  thought  of  doing  before. 
As  to  the  efficiency  of  the  mine  barrier,  that  is  something  that  has  not  con- 
cerned you  so  particularly  as  those  who  designed  it ;  but  fitting  out  the 
vessels,  learning  to  handle  the  mines,  planting  them,  and  going  through  the 
strenuous  work  has  been  really  one  of  the  finest  accomi)lishments  of  the 

navy  on  this  side as  a  nautical  feat,  a  piece  of  seamanship,  it  has 

been  perfectly  successful. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  85 

Anotlicr  thing  particularly  gratifying  is  tliat  the  conduct  of  the  men  of 
the  Mine  h'orce  at  their  hases  and  at  sea  has  been  exemplary.  I  think  one 
thing  that  has  impressed  itself  on  this  side  more  than  any  other  is  the  con- 
duct of  our  men.  They  were  inclined  to  regard  us,  when  \vc  first  came  over 
here,  as  men  out  of  the  wilds  of  America.  I  think  they  rather  wanted  to 
strengthen  their  police  force  when  we  came  around.  They  found  out  it  was 
not  necessary.  Not  only  have  you  created  a  good  impression  by  your 
conduct  as  far  as  seamanship  is  concerned,  but  you  have  created  a  splendid 
impression  socially.    We  hear  it  on  all  sides 

I  wish  you  a  Merry  Christmas  and  a  Happy  New  Year;  and  when  you 
get  back  there  you  can  tell  them  all  about  it.  You  need  not  feel  that  you 
have  to  tell  them  you  did  the  whole  thing.  Just  tell  them  a  straight  story 
and  you  may  be  more  than  satisfied  with  that 

The  Secretary  of  the  Navy's  annual  re])ort  characterizes  the 
Northern  Barrage  as  "  the  outstanchng"  anti-suhmarine  offensive 
project  of  the  year,"  and  elsewhere  he  wrote  of  it  as  "  a  truly 
wonderful  work,"  the  story  of  it  "  one  of  the  thrilling-  contrihu- 
tions  of  what  the  navy  men  did  in  the  war." 

Admiral  Benson,  Chief  of  Naval  Operations,  our  highest  pro- 
fessional authority,  considered  the  achievement  of  the  Mine  Force 

one  of  the  most  successful  efforts  of  the  whole  war  by  any  of  the  forces 
engaged.  Not  only  has  the  North  Sea  barrage  had  a  deterring  effect  neces- 
sarily on  the  enemy,  but  it  has  convinced  the  European  nations  that  there 
is  no  task  which  the  United  States  once  undertakes  to  perform  that  they 
cannot  and  will  not  successfully  carry  through.  I  believe  that  the  moral 
effect  alone  of  the  North  Sea  barrage,  not  only  on  the  enemy,  but  on  our 
friends,  to  say  nothing  of  the  excellent  training  to  our  own  personnel,  will 
be  worth  more  to  the  country  than  all  the  money  and  time  spent  upon  it. 

Actual  serious  damage  to  submarines,  in  amount  comparing 
well  with  that  done  by  patrol  and  escort  vessels  in  thrice  the 
period  of  time,  panic  among  submarine  flotillas,  probable 
deterrence  of  cruiser  raids,  and  considerable  moral  effect  at  home 
and  abroad — these  results  were  well  worth  while.  And  is  it  not 
more  than  probable  that  the  barrage  weighed  heavily  towards  the 
German  collapse?  Imperfect  though  it  was — expected  to  be  so  in 
its  first  consideration — still,  there  it  stood,  a  deadly  menace 
already,  which  could  and  would  become  more  and  more  effective, 
the  more  the  submarine  campaign  was  persisted  in.  That  cam- 
paign could  not  hope  to  survive  it. 


86  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 


CHAPTER  EIGHTEEN 
General  Living  Conditions 

No  account  of  the  mining  excursions  would  be  complete  without 
some  description  of  the  conditions  in  which  the  ships'  companies 
worked.  The  accommodations  on  board  were  sufficient  for  their 
officers  and,  when  clear  of  mines  and  the  weather  such  as  to 
permit  hatches  and  air  ports  to  be  open,  the  crew's  quarters  were 
roomy  and  comfortable.  Upon  embarking  mines,  however,  the 
crew  spaces  in  all  ships  except  Sliazviintt  and  Aroostook  became 
very  cramped,  and  as  the  season  advanced,  mines  were  on  board 
during  a  greater  part  of  the  time,  while  rainy  weather  became 
more  frequent,  thus  making  more  discomfort  on  board  with  less 
diversion  on  shore.  The  simplest  movement  below  decks  was 
interfered  with  by  the  mines ;  moreover,  their  presence  forbade 
moving  pictures  on  board,  restricted  smoking,  and  limited  the 
"  happy  hours  "  and  similar  forms  of  diversion,  so  common  in  our 
navy  and  so  particularly  desirable  in  our  circumstances. 

After  the  third  excursion  it  became  the  rule  to  embark  the 
mines  as  soon  as  possible  after  returning  to  base.  For  the  one 
night  following  a  planting,  the  ships'  decks  would  be  clear  for 
hammocks,  and  all  the  watch  below  might  then  swing  on  their 
billets.  Occasionally  there  would  be  one  more  night  before  the 
mines  would  be  in  the  way  again,  but  generally  most  of  the  ships 
would  begin  to  take  coal  or  mines  on  the  day  following  their 
return  to  port.  Thus  the  period  of  rest  allowed,  after  the  physical 
exertion  and  the  tension  of  a  mining  excursion,  was  brief. 

Ventilation  was  always  poor  at  sea,  especially  in  the  Roanoke 
and  Qidnnehaug  classes.  The  intended  ventilation  systems  had 
not  been  completed,  no  ship  having  more  than  60  per  cent  of  the 
designed  supply  of  air  and  some  less  than  40  per  cent.  On  the 
lower  mine  decks,  with  steam  on  the  elevator  pumps  and  mine 
winches,  and  considerable  numlicrs  of  men  in  the  track  crews, 
the  air  became  very  close,  foul,  and  hot.  As  the  weather  grew 
bad,  causing  seasickness  below,  the  condition  of  the  lower  decks 
and  the  air  may  be  imagined,  making  an  extensive  cleaning  and 
airing  out  imperative  immcfliatcly  on  reaching  \)c>\-{. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  87 

All  the  ships'  crews  numbered  considerably  more  than  originally 
intended,  because  extra  men  were  found  to  be  needed  and  still 
others  were  taken,  in  training  for  the  general  naval  supply.  Not- 
withstanding the  crowding  and  other  unfavorable  conditions, 
partial  inspections  in  the  course  of  the  summer  and  thorough 
inspections  at  the  close  showed  that  in  upkeep  and  cleanliness — as 
well  as  in  mining,  steaming,  signaling,  tactical  handling,  boating, 
messing,  and  discipline — the  state  of  affairs  in  all  departments 
was  highly  creditable  to  any  type  of  ship. 

The  crowded  conditions  on  board,  the  lack  of  deck  space,  and 
the  tense  and  arduous  character  of  the  men's  normal  work,  made 
diversion  on  shore  more  than  ordinarily  necessary.  Thanks  to 
the  energy  and  tact  of  Commander  Canaga  and  the  squadron 
athletic  officer,  Lieut.  Commander  Hewlett,  and  to  the  co-opera- 
tion of  the  ships'  athletic  officers,  interest  in  athletics  was  well 
sustained,  a  series  of  well-played  baseball  games  giving  entertain- 
ment to  the  townspeople  as  well  as  the  men,  and  doing  much  to 
promote  friendly  relations,  as  described  in  an  earlier  chapter. 
And  thanks  are  due  in  large  measure  to  the  local  residents  for 
their  hospitality  extended  to  both  officers  and  men.  The  opening 
of  the  Northern  Meetings'  building,  well  equipped,  by  the  Amer- 
ican Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  a  large  reception  by  Captain  and  ^Xfrs. 
Rowley  at  Inverness,  and  a  similar  initiative  by  Rear  Admiral  and 
Mrs.  Pears  at  Invergordon,  gave  such  things  a  good  start,  which 
carried  on  throughout  our  stay. 

Inverness  being  headquarters  for  the  relief  of  prisoners  of  war 
in  Germany  belonging  to  the  Cameron  Highlanders,  and  Inver- 
gordon for  the  Seaforth  Highlanders,  our  people  attended  the 
fairs  and  sports  in  considerable  numbers,  bringing  in  new  life  and 
spirit,  as  well  as  swelling  the  receipts.  The  bands  from  our  two 
bases  and  from  the  San  Francisco  w^ere  in  constant  demand 
through  all  the  neighboring  country,  and  exhibition  games  of 
baseball  made  another  drawing  feature.  After  the  Black  Isle 
fete,  at  the  ancient  little  town  of  Fortrose,  the  manager  wrote 
that  the  San  Francisco's  band  had  brought  in  £27  from  the  sale 
of  programs  alone,  and  the  whole  intake  was  more  tlian  double 
the  previous  year's. 

For  the  Cameron  Highlanders'  sports,  the  Countess  of  Elgin 
organized  a  toy-making  competition,  offering  souvenir  prizes. 
Our  men  entered  into  the  idea  with  more  interest  than  expected, 


88  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

producing  many  articles  of  real  value,  none  that  did  not  bring  a 
good  price,  and  helping  materially  to  make  the  toy  stall  a  great 
success.  Before  sailing  for  home,  the  men  afloat  and  ashore  com- 
bined in  presenting  a  fund  exceeding  $500  to  equip  a  new  school 
playground  for  the  Inverness  boys  and  girls. 

When  the  summer  had  passed  and  darkness  came  on  early, 
dances  became  frequent,  the  Scottish  lassies  cjuickly  learning  the 
American  steps.  The  erstwhile  quiet  little  Queensgate  hotel  did 
a  rushing  business,  its  ball  room  being  taken,  by  sailors  or  officers, 
six  nights  in  the  week.  And  the  men  of  Base  18,  together  with 
amateur  talent  of  Inverness,  staged  a  show,  of  which  Admiral 
Sims,  who  saw  it  in  London,  said  : 

I  saw  your  show,  the  second  part  of  it,  in  London  the  other  day.  It  had 
anything  of  its  kind  I  have  seen  skinned  to  death.  There  isn't  another  one 
that  holds  a  candle  to  it.  It  is  particularly  gratifying  tliat  the  show  in- 
cluded a  number  of  the  young  girls  of  Inverness.  The  show  was  clean  and 
refined  and  splendid  in  every  way.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  go  behind  the 
curtain  and  thank  them  and  to  kiss  that  wee  bit  of  a  girl  who  used  to  do  the 
dance. 

These  diversions  kept  the  men  in  good  spirits  and  up  to  the  mark 
in  their  work.  They  were  the  more  useful  because  of  our  com- 
parative isolation  and  concealment.  The  best  was  made  of 
whatever  came,  with  tmabated  zeal,  steady  improvement,  and 
cheerfulness  always.  Despite  the  high  prices  of  clothing  and  the 
excessive  wear  and  tear  on  uniforms  from  the  mines,  the  crews 
kept  themselves,  as  well  as  their  ships,  in  creditable  appearance. 
Their  discipline  was  excellent,  their  behavior  on  shore  on  all 
occasions  repeatedly  evoking  favorable  comment,  both  official  and 
private,  and  their  fine  spirit  showed  also  in  a  handsome  subscrip- 
tion to  the  Liberty  Loans,  the  squadron  taking  of  the  fourth  loan 
five  dollars  for  each  mine  in  their  fields.  As  a  visiting  naval 
officer  reported : 

The  whole  Mine  Force  is  short  on  criticism  and  complaints,  but  long  on 
work  and  results,  and  the  navy  should  be  intensely  proud  of  them. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  89 


CHAPTER  NINETEEN 

Farewell  to  the  I1i(;iilands 

The  squadron's  task  was  nut  tinished  with  the  signing  of  the 
armistice,  for  some  of  the  unused  mines  had  to  be  carried  back. 
Two  weeks  passed  before  orders  came  for  home — all  kinds  of 
rumors  were  rife  meanwhile,  and  the  wait  was  the  more  trying 
because  of  the  influenza  quarantine  against  amusement  resorts. 
This  had  its  benefit,  in  that  the  Mine  Force  escaped  the  epidemic 
almost  entirely,  but  with  the  season  too  far  advanced  and  rainy 
for  athletics  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  closed,  the  quarantine  bore  hard 
on  the  men  afloat. 

So  long  as  the  mines  were  on  board,  no  relaxation  of  discipline 
could  be  permitted,  and  in  order  to  keep  the  men  well  occupied, 
infantry  and  rifle  practice  were  added  to  the  ship  drills,  and  formal 
inspections  of  ships  were  begun.  The  prospect  of  these  inspec- 
tions always  keys  things  up.  All  ships  did  well,  but  the  last  one 
inspected,  Roanoke,  Captain  Stearns,  surpassed  all  expectation, 
being  a  model — judged  by  the  highest  standard — of  efficient 
organization,  training,  and  administration,  pervaded  by  a  uni- 
formly high  and  loyal  spirit. 

One  great  test  was  to  rig  for  getting  the  mines  out  in  case  of 
fire — though  a  forlorn  hope  at  best,  since  15  minutes  (the  time 
in  which  the  mines  would  explode  when  exposed  to  fire)  would 
scarcely  suffice  to  begin  discharging..  The  promise  of  Commander 
Beck,  Roanoke's  executive  officer,  to  be  ready  in  10  minutes  was 
received  by  his  colleagues  with  derision.  When  the  test  came,  he 
stood  quietly  by,  letting  his  men  work  without  coaching.  A  flicker 
of  patient  resignation  came  over  his  face  as  he  saw  that  some 
zealot  had  disabled  one  of  the  winches  to  be  used  by  putting  oil  on 
the  friction-clutch,  because  "  it  looked  like  bright  work."  But  in 
spite  of  the  consequent  delay,  all  was  ready  in  only  six  minutes. 
"  I  thought  I  was  some  little  executive  myself,"  said  one  colleague, 
"  but  I've  got  nothing  more  to  say." 

Fortunately  the  quarantine  was  raised  in  time  for  full  enjoy- 
ment of  our  last  week  in  the  Highlands.  Our  friends  omitted 
nothing  in  hospitality  and  goodwill.     Entertaining  on  board  had 


90  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

been  an  extreme  rarity  during  the  minelaying,  but  now  it  could 
be  permitted,  and  the  squadron  had  the  honor  of  a  visit  from  The 
[Mackintosh  of  Mackintosh,  chief  of  Clan  Chattan,  colonel  of 
the  Cameron  Highlanders,  lord  lieutenant  of  Invernesshire,  who 
had  been  most  hospitable  to  us.  All  the  captains  were  assembled 
on  board  the  San  Francisco  to  receive  him  and  afterwards  to 
lunch  with  him.  He  inspected  the  crew -and  ship  with  Captain 
Butler,  his  first  visit  to  an  American  man-of-war  since  1870  in 
Gibraltar,  on  board  the  old  Kcarsarge.  Chancing  to  ask  a  man's 
name,  the  reply  "  Scott,  sir,"  made  everything  after  that  go 
smoothly. 

On  our  national  Thanksgiving  Day,  Rear  Admiral  Clinton- 
Baker  sent  a  message  to  Rear  Admiral  Strauss,  which,  with  the 
latter's  reply,  expressed  cordial  satisfaction  in  working  together 
and  in  the  mutual  regard  and  respect  sprung  up,  which  would 
help  to  bring  the  two  great  navies  into  still  closer  union.  A 
theater  party  and  reception  at  Invergordon  and  a  formal  dinner 
and  ball  at  Inverness  were  given  that  day  by  British  naval  officers. 
The  ball  was  held  in  the  "  Xorthern  ^Meeting  "  rooms,  the  annual 
assembly  place  of  all  the  Highland  nobility  and  gentry.  This  was 
the  first  dance  there  since  the  war  began,  and  it  was  a  most  enjoy- 
able afl:"air,  picturesque  with  dress  kilts  and  lively  with  the 
Highland  fling.  Next  day  the  enlisted  men  were  given  a  ball  in 
the  same  place,  which  usually  held  700,  but  on  this  occasion  1400. 
Next  morning  my  orderly,  Rose,  could  not  wait  for  me  to  appear 
but  woke  me  up  to  hear,  "  Commodore,  the  British  treated  us 
Hue!" 

On  Saturday,  the  American  officers  gave  a  return  ball,  which 
was  as  well  attended  as  we  could  desire,  and  so,  at  midnight,  fes- 
tivities ended. 

Our  sailing  being  set  for  Sunday  midnight,  there  could  be  no 
gatherings  at  the  actual  departure,  but  just  before  noon  Captain 
Rowley  came  out  to  the  San  Francisco  with  Mrs.  Rowdey  and  a 
small  party,  to  say  goodbye,  and  at  Invergordon  Rear  Admiral 
I 'ears  went  on  board  the  Roanoke,  to  use  her  radio  telephone  for 
his  parting  message  to  me.  From  late  that  afternoon  until  mid- 
night the  flagship's  signal  bridge  had  no  respite,  farewell  messages 
and  replies  continuing  until  we  were  clear  of  the  harbor.  All  were 
the  same  tenor — aj)preciation  of  the  work  accomplished,  "  pleasant 
and  friendly  memory,  goodbye  and  God  speed."    The  recollections 


Thk  Yank  Eli  ]\Iinixg  Squadron  91 

taken  away  of   beautiful  country  and   kindly  people  could   only 
make  us  wish  to  revisit  them. 

Among  the  last  signals  exchanged  with  the  shore  were  : 
To :    Commander  Mine  Squadron  One  : 

The  Commander  Mine  Force  wishes  to  thank  the  officers  and  the  men 
of  the  Mine  Squadron  for  their  efficient  work  and  loyal  cooperation  and 
wishes  them  a  Iiappy  return  to  the  United  States. 

To  :    Commander  Mine  Force  : 

The  Squadron  Commander  in  behalf  of  the  captains,  officers,  and  men 
of  Mine  Squadron  One  returns  sincere  acknowledgment  for  the  Com- 
mander Mine  Force.  Signal  of  thanks  and  good  wishes.  The  Squadron 
is  deeply  gratified  to  receive  his  approbation  for  its  part  in  his  unprece- 
dented undertaking  so  successfully  accomplished. 


92  The  Yaxkee  ]\Iixixg  Squadron 


CHAPTER  TWENTY 
ScAPA  Flow 

The  ]\Iine  Force  was  not  represented  at  the  surrender  of  the 
German  fleet,  but  on  our  way  to  Portland,  where  leave  was  to  be 
given  before  sailing  for  home,  we  passed  through  Scapa  Flow  to 
see  the  surrendered  ships. 

As  our  long,  single  column  approached  the  British  squadrons 
lying  at  anchor,  on  guard,  a  signal  invited  us  to  steer  between  their 
lines,  and  as  we  wound  in  between  the  battleships  and  battle 
cruisers,  their  crews  were  assembled  on  deck — very  striking  in 
solidity  of  mass  and  evenness  of  rank  and  file.  They  cheered  each 
passing  minelayer,  our  crews  running  from  side  to  side  to  make 
response,  the  bands  playing  the  national  airs,  and  signals  being 
exchanged. 

To :    Admiral  First  Battle  Squadron. 
From :    Commander  JNIine  Squadron  One. 

Captain  Belknap  presents  his  compliments  and  regrets  that  his  movement 
orders  do  not  permit  paying  his  respects  in  person  to  Admiral  Madden. 
The  U.  S.  Mine  Squadron  sends  congratulations  upon  the  great  success 
that  has  brought  about  this  unprecedented  spectacle.    0919. 

From  :   Admiral  Madden. 
To :   Captain  Belknap. 

Thank  you  for  your  0919.  I  wish  the  Mining  Squadron  speedy  return 
home  and  have  much  regret  in  parting  with  such  a  splendid  force. 

Then  silence  was  ordered,  as  we  neared  the  Germans'  anchor- 
age. First  came  the  destroyers,  to  the  left,  moored  in  pairs  with 
a  few  British  destroyers  at  their  head,  and  then,  on  the  west  side 
of  Cava  Island,  the  large  ships  came  into  view.  Many  signs  of 
their  downfallen  state  were  evident,  and  the  sight  was  to  me  the 
more  impressive  from  having  seen  that  fleet  in  its  ascendancy. 
Now,  in  some  ships  scarcely  a  man  was  to  be  seen,  on  others  the 
rails  were  crowded,  officers  and  men  mingling  together,  to  gaze 
on  their  untouched  bait. 

In  quiet  procession  we  had  nearly  passed  them  all,  when  the 
British  trawlers  on  the  opposite  side,  holding  the  net  across  Hoy 
Sound — had  been  holding  it  in  fair  weather  and  foul,  for  three 
long  years — seeing  our  flag  and  knowing   what  our  work  had 


The  Yanki:!':  Mining  Squadron  93 

been,  broke  out  in  lonj;'  and  lnud  blasts  of  tbeir  whistles — 
having  crews  too  small  for  an  audible  cheer.  The  San 
Francisco  responded  with  the  usual  three  wdiistle  blasts,  which 
the  ships  following  re])eated  in  succession,  but  one  of  them  blew 
her  siren  instead,  and  that  started  them  all  again.  For  a  few 
moments  there  was?  a  fearful  din,  and  how  this  must  have  struck 
the  British  ships,  on  the  other  side  of  Cava,  was  indicated  by  the 
next  signals  exchanged  soon  afterwards : 

From  :    Captain  Belknap. 
To :   Admiral  Madden. 

Many  thanks  for  your  kind  message.  The  Mine  Squadron  has  much 
enjoyed  its  duty  with  the  Grand  Fleet  and  is  mucli  lionored  by  the  asso- 
ciation. 

From  :    Admiral  Madden. 
To:   Captain  Belknap. 

Reply. — Thank  you.  For  your  hilarious  Mining  Squadron,  a  speedy  trip 
home  and  have  much  regret  in  parting  with  such  a  brave  bunch. 

Clearing  the  island,  we  passed  H.  M.  S.  Lion,  flagship  of  Vice 
Admiral  Pakenham,  who  had  commanded  the  support  on  our  last 
excursion.  The  Lion  was  steaming  back  and  forth  across  the  way 
out,  like  a  sentry  on  his  beat,  a  ready  check  on  any  German  ship 
that  might  attempt  escape. 

Replying  to  my  greeting,  the  Lion  flashed  from  Vice  Admiral 
Pakenham : 

I  greatly  regret  that  only  a  farewell  signal  is  possible.  You  take  with 
you  not  only  my  personal  regards,  but  the  gratitude  and  admiration  of  the 
Battle  Cruiser  Force  and  united  wishes  for  a  happy  return  to  your  country. 

As  the  squadron  passed  out  of  the  harbor,  the  garrisons  at  the 
entrance  turned  out  and  cheered  and  one  of  the  seaplanes  that  had 
patrolled  for  submarines  while  the  squadron  was  planting  on 
some  of  its  excursions  sailed  over  and  around  the  San  Francisco, 
each  time  nearer,  until  he  swooped  by  with  a  roar  and  a  wave  of 
the  hand,  so  near  that  his  wing  tip  passed  not  20  feet  from  the 
bridge. 

Three  months  afterwards  came  a  letter  from  Vice  Admiral 
Sir  William  C.  Pakenham : 

I  trust  old  friends  on  your  side  have  enjoyed  return  to  tlieir  own  coun- 
try, but  we  miss  them  much  over  here.  When  your  Force  steamed  through 
Scapa,  I  thought  Providence  as  well  as  skill  must  have  been  on  your  side 
to  enable  you  to  pass  through  a  period  of  such  dangerous  service,  and  yet 
to  take  all  home. 


94  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 


CHAPTER  TWENTY-ONE 
Home 

Until  departure  from  Scotland,  the  squadron  had  been  almost 
free  from  the  influenza  epidemic  prevailing  elsewhere  so  seriously, 
but  during  the  ten-day  stay  at  Portland  some  cases  appeared 
among  men  returning  from  leave.  Among  427  persons  on  board 
the  Sail  Francisco,  there  were  113  cases  before  the  disease  was 
finally  checked.  Enough  officers  and  leading  men  escaped,  how- 
ever, to  warrant  sailing  for  home  with  only  one  day's  delay,  but 
leaving  40  men  in  Portland  hospital.  A  few  mild  cases  developed 
on  board  the  other  ships,  fortunately  with  no  serious  outcome. 

On  Saturday,  14  December,  the  SJiawmut  and  Aroostook  sailed 
for  the  Azores,  en  route  for  Bermuda  and  Hampton  Roads,  their 
limited  fuel  radius  making  these  stops  necessary.  The  rest  of  the 
squadron  followed  on  Tuesday,  17  December,  taking  the  direct 
route.  The  rule  of  no  homeward-bound  pennants  for  less  than 
two  years'  absence  being  relaxed  on  account  of  exceptional  con- 
ditions, all  ships  on  leaving  Portland  flew  long  streamers — one 
so  long  and  large  from  the  Roanoke,  a  steam  winch  was  needed 
to  hoist  it. 

Immediately  encountering  bad  weather,  for  three  days  less 
than  half  the  desired  progress  was  made,  and  the  Sa)i  Francisco 
had  a  serious  breakdown  of  her  steering  gear.  Several  men  were 
injured  while  steering  by  hand,  wdiich  had  to  be  discontinued, 
because  the  sea  drove  so  heavily  on  the  rudder.  The  ship  was  then 
steered  by  the  screws  alone  for  four  days  until  temporary  repairs 
could  be  made.  Upon  the  weather  clearing,  it  was  decided  to 
divide  the  squadron,  allowing  Roanoke,  Canandaigua,  Honsatonic, 
and  Quinnebaug  to  continue  the  direct  run,  which  their  remaining 
coal  and  daily  consumption  warranted  doing,  while  the  San  Fran- 
cisco, Canonicus,  and  Saranac,  with  shorter  fuel  supply  and  larger 
consumption,  proceeded  by  the  Azores. 

Like  other  forces  coming  home,  we  wished  to  come  into  New 
York,  for  a  touch  of  the  limelight  after  being  so  long  in  obscurity, 
and  because  the  location  was  central  for  letting  the  men  go  home. 
With  mines  on  board,  we  could  not  expect  a  welcome  anywhere. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  95 

and  at  New  York  bare  permission  was  doubtful — especially  so 
soon  after  the  Perth  Amboy  explosions.  With  no  prospect  of 
being  invited  there,  we  sailed  with  destination  announced  as  New 
York  as  the  one  possible  chance  of  getting  there,  but  orders  soon 
came  to  steer  for  Hampton  Roads  instead. 

Near  mid-passage  on  Christmas  night,  after  dinner,  a  British 
collier  collided  with  the  Roanoke,  opening  a  good-sized  hole  in  her 
port  side  forward.  Supports  of  the  bridge  being  knocked  away, 
its  end  sloped  down,  making  it  seem  at  first  that  the  ship  was 
rapidly  settling.  Steam  from  a  broken  pipe  came  forth  in  volumes, 
to  which  the  red  glow  of  the  port  sidelight  lent  the  appearance  of 
smoke  and  flames.  Collision  and  fire,  with  500  mines  on  board, 
far  at  sea  in  cold,  misty  weather,  would  have  been  indeed  serious. 
It  needed  just  that  to  round  out  our  experiences,  but  fortune  was 
with  us,  and  the  situation  was  promptly  brought  under  control. 

The  Quinnebaiig  saw  the  collier  safe  into  Halifax,  and  then 
overtook  the  other  three,  all  four  minelayers  arriving  at  Hampton 
Roads  without  further  incident  on  30  December.  The  Shawmut 
and  Aroostook  had  already  come  in  on  the  27th.  The  rest,  pur- 
sued by  bad  weather  10  days  out  of  16,  both  Christmas  and  New 
Year  spent  at  sea,  and  feeling  our  way  into  port  through  fog,  the 
San  Francisco  and  the  two  with  her  arrived  early  January  3,  1919, 
making  the  squadron  once  more  complete,  except  for  the  Balti- 
more, still  absent  on  experimenting  duty. 

In  due  course,  the  last  mine  was  safely  discharged  from  our 
ships,  making  a  clear  record  of  over  60,000  mines  handled  without 
mishap.  And  yet  we  were  not  to  disperse  without  one  more  ex- 
perience— a  serious  fire.  The  very  night  after  the  Saranac  had 
landed  her  mines,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  wardroom,  spreading  so 
rapidly  that,  until  outside  help  came,  it  seemed  impossible  to  pre- 
vent her  being  completely  gutted.  Only  great  exertions  saved 
her  and  the  incident  showed  that  our  strict  guard  against  fire  had 
been  no  idle  precaution. 


g6  The  Yankee  ^Mining  Squadron 


CHAPTER  TWENTY-TWO 
The  Mine  Sweepers 

With  the  removal  of  the  mines  in  peace,  the  sweepers  came  into 
prominence,  which  gives  occasion  to  mention  an  inconspicuous 
part  of  the  jMine  Eorce  work,  too  easily  overlooked.  There  were 
four  large  seagoing  tugs  in  the  mine  squadron,  Patuxent,  Lieu- 
tenant J.  B.  Hupp ;  Patapsco,  Lieutenant  W.  E.  Benson ;  Sonoma, 
Lieutenant  J.  S.  Thayer ;  and  Ontario,  Lieutenant  E.  J.  Delavy. 
These,  as  fleet  tenders  had  towed  targets,  carried  passengers,  mail, 
stores,  and  the  like.  All  this  continued  after  they  were  assigned 
to  the  original  Mine  Force,  yet,  by  a  more  systematic  apportion- 
ment of  their  former  duties,  time  was  gained  for  training  in 
mining  and  sweeping,  enough  to  arouse  a  keen  interest  and  foster 
the  Mine  Force  spirit.  In  the  fleet's  tactical  and  strategical  exer- 
cises the  tugs  took  part,  and  upon  our  entering  the  war,  the  anti- 
submarine net  tasks  and  the  experimenting  that  were  assigned  to 
the  Mine  Force  were  possible  of  accomplishment  only  by  the  use 
of  these  tugs,  together  with  our  mine  carrier  vessel,  the  Lebanon, 
Lieutenant  H.  N.  Huxford.  In  seaworthiness,  power,  and  equip- 
ment, these  vessels  had  what  was  needed,  but  their  chief  value  lay 
in  the  resourcefulness  and  energy  of  their  personnel.  Lieutenant 
E.  S.  R.  Brandt,  U.  S.  N.,  was  their  division  leader,  commanding 
the  Sonoma,  during  their  first  i8  months  in  the  Mine  Force. 

Night  and  day,  they  were  always  ready,  and  it  seemed  as  if  their 
power  and  seaworthiness  would  take  them  anywhere.  Well 
equipped  for  salvaging,  they  played  an  important  part  in  saving 
the  U.  S.  S.  Olympia  and  afterwards  the  Texas,  when  they 
grounded,  in  19 17.  Often  they  had  long  hours  of  hard  duty,  but 
could  always  be  counted  on.  Service  in  them  gave  excellent  ex- 
perience for  both  officers  and  men,  and  many  were  the  capable 
petty  officers  turned  out.  The  question  "Can  you  do  it?"  was 
never  asked,  nor  "  Are  you  ready  ?  "  It  was  necessary  only  to 
say  go  and  do,  and  whether  foggy  or  clear,  the  tug  that  was  sent 
would  nose  her  way  through  somehow. 

These  tugs  were  not  properly  equipped  for  mine  sweeping, 
lacking  the  special  type  of  wincli  needed   for  that  purpose,  but 


TiiK  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  97 

their  18  months'  experience  with  improvised  arrangements  yielded 
information  of  great  vaUie  for  the  new  design  of  a  comhined  sea- 
going tug  and  mine-sweeper  type,  of  the  Bird  Class,  contracted 
for  during  the  summer  of  19 17.  I>y  the  original  plan  for  the 
Northern  Mine  Barrage,  the  first  12  to  be  completed  of  these  new 
sweeping  vessels  were  assigned  to  the  mine  s(|uadr(jn,  and  con- 
tinued efiforts  were  made  to  expedite  their  com])leti<)n,  but  without 
success  so  far  as  concerned  their  joining  the  mine  squadron. 

Meantime,  in  the  experiments  and  tests  of  the  mine,  in  training 
the  new  personnel,  and  in  every  kind  of  transportation  and  other 
assistance  to  the  new  minelayers  during  the  month  pre])aratory 
to  sailing,  the  four  original  tugs  were  invaluable.  The  new 
sweejKrs  not  being  ready,  the  original  four  were  fitted  out  to  take 
part  in  the  work  abroad.  When  the  mine  squadron  left  Hampton 
Roads  late  in  April,  19 18,  the  Patuxtcnt  and  Patapsco  were  tem- 
porarily detached,  to  proceed  by  way  of  Bermuda,  the  Azores,  and 
Brest,  escorting  a  convoy  of  submarine  chasers  across.  Rear 
Admiral  Wilson,  U.  S.  N.,  commended  them  for  being  the  first  to 
deliver  such  a  convoy  intact.  They  finally  arrived  at  Inverness 
24  June,  1918,  where  they  were  used  to  inspect  and  observe  mine- 
fields, to  communicate  between  the  detachments  of  minelayers  at 
the  two  bases,  and  to  train  men. 

The  larger  pair,  Sonoma  and  Ontario,  were  retained  with  the 
minelayers  until  their  final  sailing'  for  abroad.  The  Sonoma, 
Lieutenant  J.  S.  Trayer,  accompanied  the  squadron  on  its  trip 
across,  making  a  notable  passage  for  a  vessel  of  her  size.  Always 
ready  for  any  duty,  up  to  station,  and  able  to  steam  at  maximum 
speed  at  the  end  of  a  3000-mile  run,  she  earned  commendation  for 
her  captain  and  her  engineer  officer,  Lieutenant  L.  W.  Knight, 
U.  S.  N. 

With  the  Ontario,  which  accompanied  a  convoy  of  submarine 
chasers  across,  the  Sonoma,  after  a  brief  stay  in  Scotland,  went  to 
Queenstown,  where  the  need  for  that  type  was  greater  than  with 
the  Mine  Force.  In  this  assignment  their  rescue  of  submarine 
victims  was  a  continuation  in  greater  degree  of  similar  pre-war 
assistance,  in  home  and  Cuban  ports,  ofif  Hatteras  and  Cape  Maysi, 
rendered  to  vessels  in  distress  from  collision,  breakdown,  and  fire 
at  sea. 


98  The  Yankee  3iIining  Squadron 


CHAPTER  TWENTY-THREE 
The  AIine  Force,  Old  and  New 

Details  of  preparation  have  been  only  briefly  touched  upon  in 
the  preceding  chapters,  though  actually  their  influence  on  the 
success  of  the  operation  deserves  more  prominence.  It  will  not 
be  supposed  that  the  new  squadron  just  grew,  or  that  in  the  active 
operations  everything  just  broke  fair.  On  the  contrary,  success 
was  earned  by  logical,  consistent  preparation,  extending  back  over 
years  and  by  sound  organization  and  execution  when  the  plan  was 
launched.  Hard  work,  development  of  doctrine,  and  prospective 
study,  between  1914  and  1917,  bore  fruit,  and,  for  the  navy's 
credit,  the  foresight  which  produced  it  deserves  record  along  with 
the  achievement  itself. 

While  suitable  and  adequate  material  would  ever  be  the  first 
essential  in  such  an  operation,  the  all-important  question  lay  in  the 
personnel  afloat.  The  excellent  qualities  of  the  new  mine  would 
be  of  no  avail  without  proper  laying  of  the  barrage.  Fortunately 
we  already  had  a  minelaying  force,  small  but  capable,  so  that  we 
did  not  look  abroad  for  instruction. 

Prior  to  1914,  minelaying  from  a  ship  underway  had  received 
little  attention  in  our  navy,  but  when  some  early  events  of  the 
great  European  war  showed  what  a  part  mines  were  likely  to  play 
in  the  future,  mining  affairs  were  made  the  principal  duty  of 
Captain  G.  R.  Marvell  in  the  Navy  Department,  the  conversion  of 
two  more  minelayers  was  pushed  to  completion,  and  mine  training 
was  taken  up  in  earnest  in  the  fleet. 

The  hitherto  solitary  mine  ship  San  Francisco  was  taken  out  of 
the  heterogeneous  group  known  as  the  Auxiliary  Division  of  our 
fleet,  to  become  the  flagship  of  a  separate  organization  for  mining 
and  mine  sweeping,  which  was  established  on  July  10,  191 5,  while 
Admiral  F.  F.  Fletcher  had  the  Atlantic  fleet. 

In  the  develoi)ment  of  this  new  l)ranch.  which  was  under  my 
command  until  September,  191 7,  one  truth  came  out  forcibly,  that 
the  sustained  attention  recjuisite  throughout  mining  operations 
could  only  Ije  insured  by  keeping  everything  up  in  man-of-war 
style.     Laying  and  recovering  mines  was  messy  work,  and  in  a 


The  Yankee  Mixing  Squadron  99 

ship  of  a  type  long  obsolete,  classed  as  auxiliary,  and  using  a 
weapon  of  stealth  barely  tolerated,  to  maintain  such  a  standard 
was  not  easy.  As  Sir  Eric  (leddes,  First  Lord  of  the  British 
y\dmiralty,  said  in  a  si)eech  in  New  York,  "  Before  the  war,  mine- 
laying  was  considered  unpleasant  work  for  a  naval  man,  an  occu- 
pation like  that  of  rat-catching,  and  not  attractive." 

Whatever  aversion  may  have  been  felt  quickly  vanished  in  the 
growing  interest  that  had  been  aroused.  Besides  its  own  specialty, 
the  new  branch  joined  the  fleet's  tactical,  gunnery,  and  strategic 
exercises,  these  last  leading  to  new  activities  and  to  study  of  the 
possibilities  of  mines  and  of  the  logical  functions  of  the  Mine 
Force.  Both  Admiral  Fletcher  and  his  successor,  Admiral  II.  T. 
Mayo,  did  all  in  their  power  to  establish  the  new  element  firmly 
as  a  regular  part  of  the  mobile  fleet.  Their  interest  and  encourage- 
ment had  immediate  efifect  in  confirming  the  personnel's  sense  of 
value,  which  had  been  engendered  by  the  variety  of  their  employ- 
ment, the  stimulating  results  of  their  efforts,  and  belief  in  the 
power  of  their  weapon. 

Experimenting  with  submarine  nets  was  also  taken  up,  and  in 
our  first  six  months  of  war,  the  Mine  Force  was  employed  chiefly 
in  planting  three  nets  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  one  each  in  Long 
Island  Sound  and  at  Newport  entrance.  Success  with  the  Long 
Island  net,  over  five  miles  long,  was  only  achieved  after  a  hard 
struggle  with  a  five-knot  current,  which  time  after  time  swept  the 
net  away  or,  crushing  its  buoys,  pulled  it  under  and  entwined  it 
with  tons  of  kelp. 

Such  in  outline  was  the  scope  of  ]\Iine  Force  activities  during 
the  28  months  prior  to  preparing  for  the  North  Sea  expedition. 
We  had  not  yet  laid  any  minefields  during  the  war,  but  as  if  in 
practice  for  the  very  operation  to  come,  the  Force,  early  in 
December,  1916,  had  laid  a  minefield  oft"  the  Jersey  Coast,  below 
Sandy  Hook — 200  loaded  mines,  in  three  parallel  lines  laid  simul- 
taneously, and  all  taken  up  by  next  day — the  press  not  notified. 
Various  arrangements  in  connection  with  the  handling  and  trans- 
portation of  mines  had  been  planned  and  actually  practiced.  For 
result — when  the  Northern  Barrage  project  came  under  consider- 
ation, the  question  of  practicability  of  the  operation  could  be 
answered  yes  with  confidence,  and  the  subsequent  working  out  of 
mining  installations,  organization,  and  training  was  guided  by 
reliable  data — all  from  our  own  experience. 


loo  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

Alany-sided  experience  had  produced  a  well-knit  organization 
of  units  that  were  resourceful,  self-reliant,  and  mutually  helpful, 
well  trained  on  sound  lines  in  minelaying",  singly  and  together. 
Long  hours  and  work  in  all  weathers  were  a  matter  of  course. 
Quiet  self-confidence  was  the  mark  of  the  Force  spirit.  And  thus, 
although  the  original  Mine  Force  was  much  too  small  for  the 
great  task  ahead,  its  value  as  a  nucleus  and  leaven  for  the  greatly 
enlarged  mine  squadron  to  be  formed  could  hardly  be  overstated. 

Since  the  autumn  of  19 16,  the  principal  Mine  Force  officers  had 
been  myself,  as  Force  Commander,  Commander  H.  V.  Butler, 
commanding  the  flagship  San  Francisco  and  senior  aid.  Com- 
mander A.  W.  Marshall,  U.  S.  S.  Baltimore,  and  Commander 
T.  L.  Johnson,  U.  S.  S.  Dubuque.  All  these  were  to  take  part  in 
the  North  Sea  operation  and  were  concerned  in  its  preparation — 
myself  in  charge,  Butler  training  the  new  crews,  IMarshall  experi- 
menting with  the  new  mine,  which  Butler  concluded,  and  Johnson 
helping  to  select  the  new  ships,  then  going  abroad  for  information. 
Their  experience  and  their  ships  were  invaluable  both  in  prepar- 
ation and  afterwards.  On  the  principle  that,  let  material  be  old 
or  new,  discipline  may  be  the  best,  the  style  of  these  seasoned  men- 
of-war,  aiming  to  match  the  highest  naval  standard,  was  always 
a  strong  influence  in  the  squadron. 

In  October,  191 7,  with  the  original  order  to  go  ahead,  which  was 
accompanied  by  a  word  of  strong  approval,  from  the  President 
down,  the  development  of  plans  and  co-ordination  of  all  prepa- 
rations became  my  principal  duty  in  the  Office  of  Naval  Opera- 
tions. Command  of  a  minelayer  and  two  years  at  the  head  of 
mining  affairs  in  the  Atlantic  fleet  had  given  me  experience  that 
was  directly  pertinent. 

The  intention  being  to  lay  the  barrage  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
counting  five  days  as  the  least  time  between  minelaying  oper- 
ations— coaling,  embarking  mines,  out,  laying,  and  back — the 
expected  manufacturing  output  of  1000  mines  a  day  demanded 
a  minelaying  squadron  with  capacity  of  5000  mines  at  one  time. 
Towards  this,  our  San  Francisco  and  Baltimore  carried  together 
only  350  mines.  The  eight  new  vessels  would  add  5350,  thus  pro- 
viding- a  good  margin,  either  for  the  loss  of  a  ship  or  for  speeding 
up. 

No  time  was  to  be  lost.  The  demand  for  ships,  ship-yard  work, 
and  sliip  efnii])nicnt  for  other  purposes  was  increasing  every  day. 


'I'liK  \'ankee  AfiNixr,  Squaduox 


lOI 


Within  lo  days  the  Eastern  Steamship  C(n-])()rati(»n's  fast  pas- 
senger hners  Massachusetts  and  Bunker  Hill,  running  daily 
hetween  New  York  and  Boston,  were  ])urchased  outright.  l)ecom- 
ing  the  Shawmut  and  Aroostook.  Within  a  month  the  Southern 
Pacific  freight  steamers  El  Rio,  El  Dia,  El  Cid,  and  El  Sii:^lo  were 
taken  over,  becoming  Roanoke,  Housatonic,  Canonicus,  and  Can- 
andaigua,  respectively.  Carrying  860  mines  each  they  soon  be- 
came known  as  the  Big  Four.  The  Old  Dominion  steamers 
Hamilton  and  Jefferson,  familiar  to  passengers  between  New 
York  and  Norfolk,  followed  by  December  6,  1917. 

The  task  of  making  four  freight  ships  habitable  for  crews  of 
400  men.  at  the  same  time  carrying  twice  as  many  mines  as  any 


M, 


9  %jkjtrtfk: 


^ 


^nrm^^ 


_  ^  ^  ./JJV'W^^^ 

-n  ,r»n  .nr-i  JrTn  i'r  rninr  r^  r.r  ■T^i^f^*"  ;-»^ 


1 


JJllTTffr-ri-mr  ^rn•fT^rr>r• 


triirrro  rrriTT'JTITTI'ir 


The  Boston-New  York  Passenger  Liner  "  Massachusetts." 
Before  conversion  into  a  minelayer. 


Other  vessel  of  their  size,  is  not  done  by  a  wave  of  the  hand,  and 
as  for  the  four  passenger  steamers  taken,  they  were  gutted  like 
fish — saloons  and  cabins  ripped  out — before  their  conversion  could 
begin.  Although  plans  had  to  be  based  upon  what  could  be  done 
within  a  reasonable  time,  with  material  and  labor  scarce,  all 
features  had  to  conform  to  the  requirements  of  the  mining  instal- 
lations. These  were  almost  entirely  new  on  the  scale  contemplated, 
either  in  our  own  or  any  other  service.  There  was  little  data 
available  of  similar  installations,  except  some  British  mining 
memoranda  and  a  few  belated  blueprints.  Lieutenant  DeSalis, 
R.  N.,  kindly  placed  his  experience  at  our  disposal,  which  was  a 
help,  but  attempts  abroad  had  not  made  a  success  of  mine  eleva- 
tors— which  would  form  a  cardinal  feature  of  our  installation — 


I02  The  Yankee  JMinixg  Squadron 

nor  had  others  gone  in  for  mine-carrying  capacity  to  the  extent 
we  contemplated — which  was  the  maximum  number  consistent 
with  not  squeezing  the  crew  intolerably.  Hence,  little  of  their 
information  proved  applicable  to  our  case.  Experience  in  our  own 
minelayers,  however,  San  Francisco,  Baltimore,  and  Dubuque, 
during  the  past  three  years,  enabled  many  details  to  be  decided 
with  a  confidence  that  subsequent  results  confirmed. 

That  winter  of  1917-18  will  be  long  remembered !  Material  was 
scarce,  transportation  congested,  labor  unsettled,  fuel  short, 
weather  severe,  haste  and  high  prices  everywhere.  Aluch  delay 
came  from  lack  of  interest  among  workmen.    The  campaign  of 


\-/..Jni\'.l,ri 


The  20-Knot  Minelayer  "  Shawmut." 
Formerly  the  coastwise  passenger  liner  Massachusetts. 

addresses  by  good  speakers  explaining  the  need  for  the  ships  and 
the  men's  own  interest  in  doing  their  best,  did  not  begin  until 
sometime  in  February,  and  then  only  in  a  small  way.  There  was 
insufficient  supervision,  the  contractors  were  converting  vessels 
to  a  type  for  which  no  model  existed,  and  plans  were  not  forth- 
coming as  fast  as  wanted,  often  not  in  the  logical  order.  Besides 
delays  and  losses  of  material  in  transportation,  one  trade  in  which 
labor  was  shortest — shipfitter — was  the  one  on  whose  work  much 
of  the  other  had  to  wait. 

By  constant  urging  and  anticipating  probable  delays,  the  work 
as  a  whole  was  kept  always  progressing,  even  if  at  times  slowly. 
The  captains  to  be,  and  their  principal  officers,  came  to  the  ships 
soon  after  their  taking  over,  and  by  January  25,  1918,  two  of  the 


The  Yankee  Mixing  Squadron  103 

largest  ships,  Roanoke  and  Hoiisatonic,  were  enough  advanced 
to  be  commissioned.  Living  conditions  were  extremely  rough 
amid  the  dirt  and  disorder,  made  worse  by  the  slush  and  mud  in 
the  unpaved  shipyards;  but  the  presence  of  officers  and  men  on 
board  exerted  constant  forward  pressure,  while  they  were  becom- 
ing acquainted  with  their  ships.  In  the  conversion  of  the  Shaw- 
miit  and  Aroostook  at  Boston  Navy  Yard,  the  ships'  companies 
worked  in  industrial  gangs  alongside  the  civilian  employees,  with 
such  actual  accomplishment  and  setting  such  an  example,  as  to 
advance  the  date  of  completion  materially.  At  the  same  time, 
their  training  progressed  so  well  that,  on  June  16,  1918,  only  one 
week  after  completion,  they  started  across. 

Every  10  days  or  so  during  the  five  months  shipyard  work,  1 
would  go  from  Washington  for  a  conference  with  the  captains 
and  the  navy  yard  officers  at  New  York  and  Boston,  to  keep  in 
touch  with  the  actual  progress  and  the  matters  that  appeared  to 
need  special  attention.  These  conferences  eliminated  infinite 
writing  and  enabled  closer  touch  to  be  kept  with  all  preparations, 
additional  efifort  to  be  more  appropriately  applied,  than  were  pos- 
sible by  regular  procedure  alone,  especially  amid  the  swollen 
volume  of  correspondence  in  general.  They  developed,  too,  a 
good  understanding  among  the  officers,  which  made  for  future 
harmony  and  gained  time  towards  the  squadron's  readiness. 

Before  the  new  ships  were  delivered,  a  special  camp  at  Newport 
had  been  provided  for  training  their  crews  under  Mine  Force 
officers.  The  San  Francisco  and  Baltimore  gave  some  practical 
instruction  on  board,  and  the  camp  was  supplemented  elsewhere, 
so  that  few,  if  any,  wholly  untrained  men  went  to  any  ship. 
Three  gun  crews  were  trained  in  the  battleships  for  each  mine- 
layer, and  the  engineer  personnel  were  kept  under  training  at 
Philadelphia  until  wanted.  For  the  officers,  similar  measures  were 
taken  to  put  them  in  touch  with  the  methods  and  experience  of  the 
Mine  Force,  as  far  as  this  could  be  done  with  ships  most  of  the 
time  at  shipyards,  fitting  out. 

Unlike  the  old  IMine  Force,  the  new  was  to  consist  of  organiza- 
tions on  shore  as  well  as  afioat,  and  for  this  an  officer  of  flag  rank 
was  wanted.  Rear  Admiral  Joseph  Strauss,  U.  S.  N.,  was  selected 
as  the  new  Commander  of  the  Mine  Force. 

Long  identified  with  ordnance  matters  and  of  distinguished  ex- 
perience at  the  Naval  Ordnance  Proving  Ground  and  Smokeless 


I04  The  Yankee  ]\Iinixg  Squadron 

Powder  Factory,  he  was  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Ordnance  for 
some  years  before  going  to  command  the  U.  S.  Battleship  Nevada, 
which  he  quitted  to  take  command  of  the  mine  operation.  On 
February  15,  1918,  he  came  to  temporary  duty  in  the  Office  of 
Naval  Operations,  where  he  familiarized  himself  with  all  infor- 
mation bearing  on  the  operation  and  its  preparation,  and  after  a 
tour  of  inspection  to  the  ships  and  acquainting  himself  with  the 
mine  situation,  he  sailed  for  England  with  his  aid.  Lieutenant 
Noel  Davis,  U.  S.  X.  On  IMarch  29,  1918,  he  assumed  command 
of  the  ]\Iine  Force,  with  headquarters  at  U.  S.  Naval  Base  18, 
Inverness,  Scotland.  Thereupon  the  original  Aline  Force,  con- 
sisting only  of  ships,  became  Mine  Squadron  One.  and  it  became 
my  part  to  complete  its  preparations  in  the  United  States  and 
command  the  active  force  afloat. 

The  new  Mine  Squadron  One  was  organized  on  Wednesday, 
April  10,  1918,  at  Hampton  Roads,  Virginia,  on  board  the 
scjuadron  flagship  San  Francisco.  I  relieved  Captain  H.  V. 
Butler,  U.  S.  N.,  who  liad  been  in  command  of  the  Mine  Force  in 
the  interval.  He  remained  as  captain  of  the  flagship  and  was  also 
my  chief-of-stafif — the  same  association  that  we  had  in  the  old 
Mine  Force.  Commander  Bruce  L.  Canaga,  U.  S.  N.,  who 
had  been  my  invaluable  assistant  in  Washington  since  the  prepa- 
rations began  in  November,  came  as  my  senior  aid. 

To  us  who  had  struggled  through  the  long  winter's  difficulties, 
it  was  a  memorable  event  when  the  first  new  minelayer,  the 
Roanoke,  Captain  Stearns,  joined  the  flag,  on  Friday.  12th  April. 
1918.  She  was  followed  closely  by  the  Housatonic,  Commander 
Greenslade,  and  by  the  Canandaigita,  Commander  Reynolds, 
next  day.  All  was  arranged  for  their  loading  with  mines,  and 
they  began  at  once.  By  a  week  later  the  Qtiinnebaug,  Commander 
Mannix,  and  Canoniciis,  Commander  Johnson,  had  joined,  com- 
pleting the  number  ready  for  service  at  that  time. 

Almost  immediately  the  Roanoke  was  sent  across  ahead  of  the 
others,  an  inspection  only  16  days  after  leaving  the  shipyard  show- 
ing that  her  excellent  condition  warranted  it.  She  was  to  help  the 
Baltimore,  already  there,  to  finish  laying  the  minefield  in  the  North 
Irish  Channel,  described  in  a  previous  chapter,  but  though  she 
arrived  in  good  season  and  ready,  through  a  change  of  plan  the 
Roanoke  was  not  employed  there,  proceeding  instead  to  Inver- 
gorden. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 


lo: 


tn 


io6  The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron 

The  other  four,  Avith  the  San  Francisco,  continued  the  training 
program.  An  engine  accident  in  the  Hoiisatonic,  needing  lo  days 
at  Norfolk  Navy  Yard  to  repair  it,  delayed  us  a  week,  which  was 
profitable  for  tying  up  the  many  loose  ends  left  by  the  shipyards. 
Our  second  great  event  came  on  Sunday,  28  April,  19 18,  when  the 
new  squadron  got  underway  together  for  the  first  time  to  exercise 
tactics  and  signals  while  en  route  from  the  Chesapeake  for 
Provincetown.  The  day  began  and  ended  with  steering  gear 
troubles,  and  was  followed  by  40  hours  of  fog,  which  deprived  us 
of  valuable  time  that  had  been  counted  on.  Tuesday,  at  5  p.  m., 
the  Sa)i  Francisco  and  Hoiisatonic  arrived  at  Provincetown.  The 
Canandaigua  was  already  maneuvering  on  the  measured  mile 
course  while  her  diver  was  searching  for  a  lost  anchor.  Canonicus 
was  anchored  inside.  Quinnehaug  reported  herself  anchored  in 
the  fog  ofif  Nantucket  Lightship,  repairing  an  engine  break. 

Next  day,  the  morning  fog  lifted  enough  for  all  to  begin  stand- 
ardizing over  the  measured  course,  afterwards  proceeding  to 
Gloucester  Harbor,  Massachusetts,  where  the  final  mine  proving 
and  the  first  practice  minelaying  by  the  new  ships  would  be  done. 
Strenuous  days  these,  especially  for  captains!  Hoiisatonic  asked 
permission  to  lag  behind  awhile,  arriving  at  Gloucester  very  late. 
"  Sorry  to  drag  you  over  at  this  unchristian  hour,  Greenslade,  but 
I  wanted  to  see  you  about  to-morrow's  work."  "  Oh  !  never  mind, 
sir.     This  is  the  life!" 

Quinnehaug  joined  next  afternoon,  but  she  still  needed  some 
engine  repairs  which  required  navy  yard  assistance,  and  was  ac- 
cordingly ordered  at  once  to  Boston.  More  than  unwelcome  there 
with  mines  on  board,  the  work  and  her  departure  were  heartily 
speeded. 

After  scarcely  any  let-up  since  the  ships  had  left  the  shipyards 
four  weeks  previously,  a  Sunday,  May  5,  1918,  was  devoted  to  a 
well-earned  rest.  And  now  had  to  be  decided  whether  to  continue 
training  longer  or  not.  Outside  of  the  ships  singly,  little  had  been 
done.  They  had  not  even  been  all  together  since  the  first  evening 
at  sea.  Yet  the  mine  bases  were  in  such  need  of  the  500  men  that 
we  were  to  bring  them  that,  although  only  a  meager  part  of  the 
training  had  been  carried  out,  it  was  decided  to  push  on.  There 
would  be  tactics  and  gunnery  exercise  en  route,  and  possibly  other 
training  that  had  been  omitted  might  be  made  up  then  too. 


The  Yankee  Mining  Squadron  107 

And  so  the  original  period  of  time,  estimated  as  necessary  to 
prepare,  was  adhered  to,  namely:  in  45  days  after  leaving  the 
shipyards  to  be  at  the  North  Sea  base,  with  coal  and  mines  on 
board,  ready  for  a  minelaying  operation.  Despite  the  numerous 
delays  and  mishaps,  our  arrival  in  Scotland,  May  26,  1918,  was  on 
the  fortieth  day  from  the  fifth  ship  leaving  the  yard,  and  all  ships 
were  ready  for  duty. 


io8  The  Yankee  ^Mining  Squadron 


CHAPTER  TWENTY-FOUR 
After  the  War 

The  war  over,  the  reorganized  United  States  fleet  was  to  include 
only  the  Sail  Francisco,  Baltimore,  Shaivmut,  and  Aroostook  as 
minelayers.  The  Big  Four  ships  were  to  bring  troops  home,  and 
the  Quinnehaug  and  Saraiiac  to  go  back  to  their  owners,  the  Old 
Dominion  Steamship  Company.  The  San  Francisco  needing  re- 
pairs, the  squadron  flag  was  transferred  temporarily  to  the  Balti- 
more. This  took  place  17  January,  19 19,  at  Newport,  Rhode 
Island;  whence  we  had  sailed  on  our  mission  eight  months  before. 

Never  before  in  all  my  experience  had  I  been  in  an  organiza- 
tion where  harmony,  mutual  confidence,  good  will,  and  loyalty 
prevailed  so  completely  as  in  this  ]\line  Squadron.  The  high  spirit 
of  the  officers  and  men  showed  in  the  condition  of  their  ships, 
their  work,  their  discipline,  and  their  individual  personal  bearing. 
To  command  such  a  body  was  an  honor  that  could  not  be  laid  down 
in  silence,  and  so,  before  the  two  pioneer  minelayers  parted,  I 
spoke  to  their  assembled  officers  and  men  as  follows  : 

I  am  speaking  to  you  to-day  as  representing  the  Squadron.  It  is  very 
appropriate  that,  on  this  occasion  of  temporarily  transferring  the  flag,  I 
should  get  together  the  officers  and  crews  of  the  two  old  war  horses,  San 
Francisco  and  Baltimore,  that  have  made  our  success  possible.  The  work 
in  the  Northern  Aline  Barrage  did  not  begin  only  a  year  ago.  It  began  for  a 
squadron  of  mining  ships  when  the  Baltimore  and  the  Dubuque  joined  the 
San  Francisco,  in  the  middle  of  1915.  These  old  ships  set  an  example  that 
made  the  rest  aspire  to  follow,  to  live  up  to  the  high  standard  and  steady 
pace  necessary  to  accomplish  what  we  have  done. 

To-day  marks  the  end  of  the  "  Yankee  Mining  Squadron,"  that  did  four- 
fifths  of  the  Northern  Mine  Barrage.  I  do  not  need  to  tell  you  how  highly 
mentioned  our  work  has  been.  When  the  reports  have  been  published,  no 
doubt  it  will  be  highly  thought  of  in  this  country  and  by  all  who  read  about 
it  in  the  future.  This  success  is  due,  not  to  any  one  of  us,  not  to  any  few 
of  us,  it  is  due  to  all  of  us.  I  am  very  proud  to  have  commanded  such  a 
force.  It  is  a  deep  gratification  to  have  such  a  success  come  as  a  result  of 
the  efforts  we  have  made  through  four  years.  Naturally,  I  shall  never 
forget,  but  I  wish  to  let  you  know  that  you  should  never  forget  it. 

The  Squadron  is  now  reorganizing.  Some  of  you  may  go  to  other  duty, 
some  may  go  out  into  civil  life,  where  you  will  work  during  the  conditions 
of  peace  which  you  helped  to  bring  about.     And  now  let  me  remind  you 


The  Yankee  AIixing  Squaurox  io<) 

o£  the  principles  on  which  we  won  success  ni  our  part  in  tliis  war  and  on 
which  we  always  did  our  work.  Remember  this !  that  the  everyday  things 
are  the  easiest  to  forget,  and  it  is  because  we  have  carefully  kept  before  us 
the  importance  of  doing  the  everyday  things  right  that  we  have  earned 
success.  We  have  not  been  afraid  of  work,  we  have  never  shied  at  any 
job.  Every  man  has  felt  his  part  as  important  to  do  properly  as  any  other 
man's  part,  and  as  long  as  the  work  was  to  be  done  he  has  kept  up  his 
attention.  That  has  been  the  main  principle — not  to  slack  down — that  a 
job  is  not  finished  until  it  is  done,  and  it  is  not  done  until  it  is  done  right. 
We  have  not  sought  the  easiest  way  but  the  right  way,  and  we  have  gen- 
erally found  that  the  right  way  was  the  easiest  way  in  the  long  run.  And 
further,  that  a  job,  to  be  rightly  done,  must  be  as  good  at  the  end  and  in 
the  middle  as  in  the  beginning.  We  have  not  slackened.  The  86oth  mine 
of  the  Canonicus,  of  the  longest  string  ever  laid,  was  as  good  as  the  first  or 
the  300th  or  any  other  mine. 

I  congratulate  you  all  on  the  work  you  have  done.  It  will  be  a  very  satis- 
factory and  proud  memory  for  you  and  for  all  those  connected  with  it.  But 
I  congratulate  you  most  on  the  preparation  that  it  gives  you  to  do  still 
more,  to  be  better  men,  to  be  better  citizens.  Nothing  more  valuable  could 
come  from  our  work  than  that. 

You  can  fancy  what  my  associations  are  with  these  two  ships.  I  made 
my  first  cruise  as  a  commissioned  officer  in  the  Baltimore ;  and  the  past 
four  years  in  her  and  the  San  Francisco  have  been  the  most  interesting 
I  ever  had.  I  am  very  sorry  to  leave  you  of  the  San  Francisco  even  for  a 
short  time,  but  I  could  not  leave  under  happier  conditions.  To  leave  at  a 
time  of  a  success  like  this  happens  only  once  in  a  lifetime.  Good  luck  to 
all  of  you. 

Long  before  the  barrage  was  finished  we  were  studying  how  to 
sweep  it  up,  and  soon  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  experi- 
ment began  towards  safeguarding  the  sweeping  vessels.  Before 
leaving  for  home  the  squadron  transferred  over  400  men  to  the 
bases  for  the 'sweeping  duty,  and  subsequently  a  number  of  new 
sweepers  were  sent  over  from  the  United  States,  in  groups  com- 
manded by  officers  formerly  of  the  mine  squadron. 

The  British  authorities  took  steps  immediately  to  mark  otit  the 
barrage  area,  with  light-vessels  and  gas  buoys,  and  actual  sweep- 
ing began  as  early  as  December,  1918.  It  will  take  months  to  com- 
plete, but  well  inside  a  year  from  its  laying  the  Northern  Barrage 
will  have  become  a  thing  of  the  past. 

It  served  its  purpose,  and  more  besides.  Throtigh  the  part 
played  in  former  wars,  submarine  mines  grew  in  recognition, 
though  slowly,  as  important  means  of  defense.  In  this  war  they 
came  into  extensive  employment  in  offense,  the  largest  as  well  as 
most  striking  oft'ensive  use  being  the  Northern  Barrage,  which, 
in  popular  phrase,  put  mines  on  the  map. 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
IE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


AM 


Form  L9-32m-8,'58(5876s4)444 


000  977  172    6 


AA 


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590 


'SXneT»B^o7h^„^^",5^erh.,,   Ro«r.. 


MILITARY  ORDER,  W.  VV. 

The  Military  Order  of  the  World  War 
has  secured  the  services  of  Sherrard 
^nl'^rF  ^^  v^^''^  recorder  generalV  he 
will  devote  his  entire  time  to  hulldinfr  un 
the  orgranfzation  and  will  make  trips 
irom  time  to  time  to  the  corps  headnuar- 
ters  and  to  local  chapters         "^aaquai 

loHn^  ^,1?'/^''^'  P^  *^:?  "^'^  Monthly  Bul- 
letin will  he  issued  within  htc  next 
three  weeks.  The  first  issue  will  be 
mai  ed  to  all  members  who  have  at  nnv 
time'  belonged  to  the  organizStTon  ^ 

At  a  meetmg-  of  the  executive  com 
mittee  last  Monday  a  letter  was  re^d 
from       Congressman      Georee      tt«i5^^ 

T'nkham  acknowledging7hTrec"p  Of 
the  resolutions  passed  by  the  Greater 
Boston  Chapter  at  its  April  6th  bamniet 
recommending  and  u/ging  unlversai 
military  training.  In  which  he  Qt/fi^ 
that  he  had  filed  the  Teso^utlSn  In  the 
House  of  Representatives 
*Jt  '?^*^'"  '^^^  ?^so  received  from  Sena 
tor  Henry  Cabot  Lodge  statins-  tw 
he  would  refer  the  resolutions^o  the 
Committee  on  Military  Affairs  ^^ 

Another  letter  was  read  from  Ra^  «* 
War  John  W.  Weeks,  in  which  he  wenf 
on  record  as  heartily  Indors  n^  thp.^t=* 
olul.ons.  Other  favorable  rep^iieSVefe' 
read  from  Senator  David  I.  Wallh  and 


